


The Path We Tread

by lonelywere



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Character Development, F/M, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Personal Growth, Rape, Rape Recovery, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-02-23 03:40:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 89,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23471821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelywere/pseuds/lonelywere
Summary: * I am placing this story on pause for the moment and working on my DAO story, The Strength of Two. As soon as that is finished, I will be revising the chapters currently posted on here and continuing to work on this story.*Adrios Trevelyan was just another mage in his Circle in Ostwick, living his life until everything changed. (Except it was stupid people, not the Fire Nation.)This is Adrios' story, and his journey to becoming one of the most popular/infamous people in Thedas.
Relationships: Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Blackwall/Josephine Montilyet, Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus, Male Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	1. For the Greater Good

**Author's Note:**

> Work in progress! Bear in mind that I am trying to make this story readable to people who don't know Dragon Age, while still being interesting. Trying to stay as close as I can to actual canon, but definitely adding in my own content.

Chapter 1 – For the Greater Good

Adrios blinked awake.

He wasn’t exactly sure what had roused him awake. He could see out his window that dawn was a long way off, the sky still showing the pure ink of night. Adrios sat up, letting the blankets fall away from him as he rubbed the bleariness from his eyes. He stood and wrapped a robe around himself, yawning a little as he padded over to the window. He filled a small mug with water from the pitcher on the windowsill, watching the quiet countryside outside as he did so. He knew that he had been very lucky—a mage fresh from his Harrowing—to receive a Senior Enchanters quarters. He know that First Enchanter Belle and Senior Enchanter Lydia had pulled quite a few strings to grant him these quarters. The two of them had been his instructors for the majority of his life here, after his first instructor had insisted that he was “far too important to be given apprentices to mentor.” He has more memories of Lydia and Belle than he did of his own family.

Such is the burden of being a mage, Adrios thought bitterly. It didn’t matter that he was from a powerful and influential family, the first-born son that would have been in line to take over as the Teyrn of the Trevelyan family of Ostwick. Being a mage meant he could not hold titles, and he was forever marked to live in this gilded prison.

Adrios took a deep breath and drank some more of the water, staring out at the gigantic maple tree that stretched beside the tower that was his home. Things could be far worse. He did enjoy his time in this tower, if he was being honest with himself. Especially now that he had passed his Harrowing, proving that he could handle the danger of being a mage and that he could resist the temptation of possession from the demons of the Fade. He was given more time to study in the grand library of the Ostwick Circle, and time to perform some tests on magical theory that had been tickling the back of his mind. A smile crossed his face as he looked at his large desk against the wall, about twenty or so heavy tomes stacked neatly on one side. _My To-Do pile_ , he thought bemusedly. He loved having access to all these books, and he was exceedingly lucky that his First Enchanter was the same. He knew that Belle was constantly purchasing more and more tomes to add to the library, and borrowing some of the more reclusive tomes from other Circles in order to have the Tranquil duplicate them and add them to the tower’s collection.

Wind rustled the branches of the maple tree, stirring Adrios’ unruly hair. It took quite a bit of styling and a small amount of magic to make his hair behave, but this early in the morning he didn’t want to summon the necessary energy when he fully intended to crawl back into bed. Leaning out the window slightly and squinting at the heavens, he guessed it to be about two bells past midnight. Far too early to be awake.

Which led him back to his original train of thought. Why had he woken up in the first place? There was an almost imperceptible itching sensation inside his mind. He knew this feeling very well. It had saved his life during his Harrowing.

Something was wrong in the tower.

Adrios decided to perform one of his first tests, before venturing out into the drafty corridors. Autumn was in full swing in Ostwick, and this late at night no one would have stoked the fires. Meaning the tower would be very brisk, not at all helping him try to go back to sleep. He opened one of his desk drawers, pulling out a very large white candle. He sat cross legged on the floor, and lit the candle with a glance. He closed his eyes, and pressed his fingers and thumbs together in his lap. He took a deep breath, clearly picturing the candle in his mind’s eye. He felt the mana stir within him, and then he gasped slightly. His eyes flew open but his eyes were no longer seeing his room. Everything was in grayscale, allowing him to focus his eyes and see through the walls and floors.

He allowed himself a moment of pride that he could enter this trance so easily. Lydia had told him that this was a difficult ability to master, and one that when used too frequently would draw the attention of demons. But for now, he simply focused his thoughts on the niggling feeling of wrongness, trying to find the source of it.

Sleeping mages, bored templars playing Wicked Grace instead of patrolling the empty and drafty corridors. He allowed the rooms to drift by faster and faster, ignoring the mundane. He grinned inwardly as he saw two mages in bed together, lost in their own world, but he was not one to watch such things.

Lots and lots of boring rooms, but he could feel his sense of wrongness increasing. Then, suddenly, he hit…a wall? His mind’s eye slammed into a dark wall. Surprised, he examined it more closely. It was just one of the store rooms in the first floor of the cellars.

He knew that the cellars extended many, many floors into the bedrock that the tower was built upon. In centuries long past, Tevinter magisters had built this tower as a boarding house for the wealthy and powerful. So there were secret passages all over, and the cellars were a maze. First Enchanter Belle had allowed him to view the maps originally intended only for the current First Enchanter, which showed escape routes that led into the city of Ostwick itself (which was several kilometers away from the tower) and one that led to the coast, where a boat was always kept waiting. She had sworn him to secrecy of course, but Adrios was not one to share his findings typically.

Why would one of the cellar store rooms have such a wall? He examined the wall more closely. It shifted in a most unsettling fashion, reminding him of molasses in an unsettling shade of black. The more he focused on it, the more unsettled he became. He felt the hair on the back of his neck raise. He suddenly understood why it was giving him such an uneasy feeling.

Blood magic.

He grimaced. The idea behind blood magic was innocuous enough. Use your lifeforce to reinforce the wells of mana within your body. However, the Chantry forbade the use of blood magic and it had shown time and time again that those given access to power could never handle it safely. Those with such power always wanted more, and more.

His studies had backed this claim up, showing that blood magic actually corrupted your mind. The hunger for power was that corruption, and the corruption drew demons to you like a beacon. He had actually published his thesis on these studies two days after his Harrowing, and he could still remember Senior Enchanter Lydia’s beaming smile when she had finished reading his thesis.

Adrios’ eyes opened, the grayscale environment falling away and at a mental command a gentle breeze blew out the candle. He stood and walked to his armoire, dressing in one of his simple royal blue tunics and black leather breeches. He pulled on his black leather boots and—after a moment’s thought—grabbed his mages staff where it had leaned against the armoire. He didn’t typically carry his staff inside the tower unless he needed it to focus his mana, but the blood magic worried him. He slid the staff into its sheath across his back, and stepped out into the corridor.

As a fully-realized mage, he didn’t have to worry about the templars or a curfew. Most of the mages on this floor were over the age of 40 and would be asleep, but the younger mages were known for being up late at night completing studies. Bedrooms were all warded against sound for this reason—the Circle never sleeps.

Adrios was always exceptionally quiet on his feet. People never heard him approaching, which amused him to no end. He was 6’4”, and about 180 pounds. But people could never hear him approaching and this usually ended with him unintentionally (or sometimes intentionally) startling people. Which sometimes backfired, when people were experimenting with fire or lightning.

Adrios strode down the hallway, heading towards the central staircase. The Senior Enchanter quarters that he had been lucky enough to secure were on the sixth level of the tower. The First Enchanter’s quarters were on the seventh floor, with only the Harrowing Chamber above that. He moved quickly towards the stairs, fully intending on rousing Belle and explaining what was going on. He hoped that she wouldn’t reprimand him for his lack of evidence—and also waking her up at two in the morning—but she had always trusted his intuition.

He heard footsteps coming up the stairs and was surprised to see Knight Commander Raymond ascending the stairs. Adrios smiled warmly to Raymond. He had always been kind to the mages in the tower, never once jumping to conclusions and always trying to give second chances if he was able to. Raymond gave a tired smile back.

“Some days I hate these stairs,” Raymond grumbled, slightly out of breath as he drew level with Adrios. Adrios laughed.

“Did you need assistance getting up the stairs ser?” Adrios’ eyes were twinkling, watching Raymond puff out his chest.

“I’m not quite that old yet sonny,” Raymond wagged his finger at Adrios, but he had a smile under the salt-and-pepper beard on his face. He didn’t have his sword belted onto his hip, and he was only wearing the chainmail that is worn under the plate armor templars wore. “What brings you out of your bed at this hour?”

Adrios hesitated. Raymond had always been kind and fair to him and listened when the other templars simply watched in silence. However, the attack on Kirkwall’s chantry a week ago had changed the mood in the tower. Templars had usually only carried their swords if Suspicious Activity had been declared or during the Harrowing’s. Now they carried their weapons at all times, and they all seemed especially twitchy. Mages, on the other hand, were much more nervous and a lot of the younger mages could be seen traveling in groups about the tower, talking quietly together. “Just need to discuss something with the First Enchanter that I forgot to mention earlier,” Adrios finally said, giving Raymond a weak smile. “I hate to wake her, but I know she’ll be happy that I do.”

Raymond looked at him for a long moment, his eyes taking in the staff and Adrios’ unreadable expression, before smiling slightly. “That’s where I’m heading as well. I’ll wake her and take the ire for it.” His eyes twinkling, Raymond continued ascending the grand spiral marble stairs leading up. Adrios fell into step a few paces behind him and followed him up the stairs.

They ascended the steps in silence, Adrios mulling things over in his mind and intentionally lagging behind the templar. He didn’t know what Raymond’s business was with Belle this late at night, and he didn’t know if he would be allowed to listen in on whatever might be happening. They turned off the staircase onto a short hallway and turned right, leading away from the large conference room. When they reached the large ornate door leading to the Office of the First Enchanter however, Raymond motioned for Adrios to join him. “I’m sure whatever happens between Belle and myself is discussed with you as well,” Raymond smiled warmly. “She holds you in high regard. As she should, considering the results of your Harrowing.” Adrios tried to smile back, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He hated discussing his Harrowing. The thought of that pride demon had haunted him for weeks following his Harrowing. It had been a full year before the nightmares had stopped. Raymond rapped his knuckles smartly against the door, the sound echoing in the stillness of the night.

“Enter.”

Adrios’ eyebrows raised in surprise. She was awake? At this hour? Raymond pushed the door open wide and Adrios followed in his wake. Belle’s office was large and airy, large bookshelves with glass doors holding the collection she had created over the course of her life (along with the forbidden tomes that couldn’t be trusted to be housed in the library.) Belle was sitting behind her desk, her long black hair in a braid and still in her nightgown. She didn’t seem surprised to see either of them out of their beds this late at night, and her expression was a polite mask. “What can I do for the two of you this late at night?”

Raymond gave her a sardonic smile. “I believe we are all awake for the same reason. I can guess you both sense the disturbance downstairs?”

Adrios looked at him, startled. “How did you—”

“Come now,” Raymond laughed. “Why else would you feel you had to bother Belle at this time of night? You and I both know that she would typically be fast asleep and snoring at this time.” Belle narrowed her eyes at Raymond, which made Adrios laugh. He quickly turned it into a cough, hiding his smirk behind his hand.

“Well, if we are all aware of this disturbance in the tower, what should we do about it?” Adrios quickly changed the subject. “I know I’m simply a mage, but I feel like I should help try to keep the peace in the tower. I would hate for us to go the way of Kirkwall…” Belle and Raymond both shared a grim look.

“I don’t have any desire to punish mages,” Raymond said quietly. “But blood magic cannot be overlooked. It is a danger to everyone in this tower, and it will only serve to draw more demons as it thins the Veil.” Belle nodded and stood.

“Shall we head down and investigate then?” Belle held out her hand and her staff flew to her hand from its resting place against the wall. Adrios and Raymond followed the tapping of her staff against the marble floor, leading out the door and down the stairs.

As they descended the stairs, Adrios could sense the feeling of wrongness intensifying as they drew closer to the basement levels. They reached the ground floor and noticed that the entrance hall was completely deserted. Raymond halted, touching Belle’s shoulder to bring her attention to the empty hall. It was a large and beautiful room, large paintings depicting Ostwick culture and old tales. Everything was elegant and beautifully decorated, since this was usually the first impression of this Circle for visitors and new mages. However, as the main entrance and exit of the tower there were always several templar guards posted here. The front doors may be warded against any that may be able to leave, but the presence of the templars were always present in this room. Their absence made the hair on the back of Adrios’ neck stand on end.

“Where—” Adrios began in an undertone when he heard a faint whispering noise. It was almost too faint to be noticed. Belle looked at him sharply when he paused in the middle of his sentence. “Did you hear that?” Adrios said quietly.

BAM!

A loud crash made them all jump, as the front doors seemed to shiver under the impact. A templar came running from into the room from the direction of the dining hall. “Sir!” The templar shouted desperately. “There is a mob outside!” Raymond strode forward and the templar seemed to recoil when he noticed Belle and Adrios standing there. “It’s a crowd of guards and townsfolk from the city! They seem to think that we have been cursing them, and they are shouting for the mages to be put to death!” Adrios looked to Belle in alarm, but she took it in stride. Belle and Raymond shared a look, before Belle turned to Adrios.

“Adrios, I need you to go upstairs and fetch Lily,” Belle said calmly. Tranquil don’t really have a need for a hierarchy system, but Lily was Belle’s go-to person if things needed to be addressed quickly. “She is to inform all mages and Tranquil that we are in danger and lead them to the Ritual Chamber.” Adrios was shocked. The Ritual Chamber? That was the largest chamber in the second level of the basements, capable of holding all of the people in the tower and then some.

“Why would we all be going to the basements First Enchanter?” Adrios said, agitation showing in his voice despite his attempts to remain calm. “Barricading ourselves in the lowest reaches of the tower isn’t—”

“Adrios!” Belle interrupted, steel in her voice. Adrios flinched at the sound—Belle had never raised her voice to him. “I understand you don’t want to run away and you want there to be a diplomatic solution. We need to be prepared for there to not be a diplomatic solution! Now move!” She turned and strode towards the kitchen with Raymond at her side.

Adrios sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. His heart was racing. First the blood magic in the basement, and now a mob stirred up outside? Lily’s quarters were on the fifth floor with the other mage quarters. The Tranquil shared a lot of their spaces with each other to give more space to the rest of the tower, which had never seemed quite fair to Adrios but they never complain about anything so there wasn’t much he could ever do. Adrios hammered on the door, his heart in his throat. A few moments passed before Lily answered the door. She was a very pretty woman, her auburn hair always carefully gathered in a bun on her head.

“Mage Adrios,” She stated in the monotone voice all Tranquil used. “What can I do for you?”

“First Enchanter Belle instructed me to come and fetch you,” Adrios said breathlessly. “She states that she needs you to instruct all the Tranquil and mages go to the Ritual Chamber. There is a mob outside demanding our heads.” Lily didn’t react, but she moved swiftly back into the room. She left the door open, so Adrios tentatively followed her in. Lily moved quickly to another Tranquil that was still fast asleep and shook her awake. The Tranquil instantly opened her eyes, and Lily murmured to her quietly. The other Tranquil—Adrios didn’t recognize her—immediately got up and started dressing. Lily turned back to Adrios.

“Go and ready yourself ser mage,” Lily stated in her monotone voice. “Then alert the Senior Enchanters on your floor. Prepare yourself for the fact that we may not be back to this place.” Adrios looked at her in shock. Had the First Enchanter been preparing for this? “Now. Ser mage, please hurry.” Her voice was still monotone but this statement worked at dispelling the fog of “this can’t possibly be happening” from Adrios’ brain. He turned on his heel and ran down the hall back to the stairs.

He sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time again. He started panting from the effort, thinking about all the people that could be hurt from this conflict. Remembering how Ostwick had swelled with refugees after the Kirkwall crisis. How he had visited the injured and the ill in the Chantry in Ostwick, using the spirit healer magic he had learned as an apprentice to try and make the world a better place. Belle had agreed to him venturing out of the tower, reasoning that this would improve the view of mages during a time when a mage could (and did) snap their fingers and kill hundreds in the blink of an eye.

All of his effort could not be for naught. He wouldn’t allow it.

He was at the door to his bedroom before he knew it, and he flung the door wide. He strode across the room to his armoire and opened the doors. He pulled out his rucksack. He had been experimenting with this for years, and it had only finally worked a few days ago. He had hardly been able to test the spell to its full extent, but this was a time for action. He began stuffing belongings into the rucksack, the shape and weight never changing. He had been so proud, accomplishing the feat of extending a quality of the Fade to a real-life object. The thesis on this was still in the works, explaining fully how to give a container the Fade quality of pocket dimensions.

Speaking of, he started throwing books into his bag as well. He didn’t even hesitate with the books from the library, knowing that knowledge was always a precious commodity. He then noticed the small bundle that he had thrown under his bed months ago. He picked it up, unwrapping it from the cloth wrappings. It had been a gift from his mother during one of their rare and secret visits. It was a collection of lore and stories from Tevinter, the land of cruel magisters that every person in southern Thedas treats like a curse word. Adrios had instantly loved the gift however—nowhere else in southern Thedas would be able to give you knowledge of the inner workings of Tevinter. He had kept this gift hidden from all, and he was loathe to give it blindly to the inner workings of a magic that he hadn’t fully tested but he had no choice. Into the rucksack it went.

Lastly, he pulled his mages robes over his tunic and breeches and wrapped them close around himself. It wouldn’t protect him like armor, but the enchanted material would protect him in other ways. He strode out of the room and closed the door. He began going room to room, his rucksack slung over his shoulder and resting on his right hip. He woke and alerted each Senior Enchanter in turn. All of them took this knowledge in stride, gathering hidden preparations and leaving the room immediately. Perhaps there had been a secret meeting, instructing them to prepare for having to flee in the dead of night? Adrios did not know, and did not care. Once the Senior Enchanters had been alerted and this floor was empty, he strode downstairs to the floor beneath that housed the other full mages. He found bustling activity. He hadn’t seen Lydia in her room on the floor above, and assumed that one of the other Senior Enchanters had alerted her in his place. He saw Tranquil alerting and herding the other mages out of their bedchambers and on their way downstairs. There was hardly ever this much activity, even in the middle of the day.

He spotted Lydia’s tall and stern figure chastising a mage trying to carry a trunk of clothing. “You fool boy, this is not a drill! Leave them behind, they are not worth your life!” The mage scurried away, leaving the trunk abandoned in the hall. Lydia turned to see Adrios, and her grim expression brightened slightly. “Good to see you Adrios. I hope you prepared for the trip.”

“Trip?” Adrios was puzzled, cocking an eyebrow at her. “What trip? I was warning people of the mob from Ostwick outside.” Lydia waved a hand carelessly in front of her.

“It was a matter of time. News arrived late yesterday that Grand Enchanter Fiona has voted to dissolve the Circles.”

“What!?” Adrios shouted, his eyes growing wide. “Dissolve the Circles? Now!? After a mage caused an explosion in the Chantry, and several other blood mages attempted to assassinate the Divine? Of all the foolhardy, irresponsible—”

“Oh, stop your blustering,” Lydia chuckled, waving her hands to calm him down. “We all voted against the plan. But some voices speak too loudly for their own good and Fiona had no choice but to attempt to carry through the plan. We made plans to evacuate the tower with our templars, in an attempt to keep our Circle intact. The institution may be gone, but we can still survive together. We never had problems with blood mages, thanks to the even-handed governing of this Circle.” Lydia’s expression grew sorrowful. “But we knew that extremists from the Chantry and the city would be knocking down the gates sooner or later. Fleeing was a matter of when, not if.”

Adrios was reeling. This couldn’t be happening. He didn’t want to leave the Tower, this was his home…

Lydia’s expression softened. “Come, Adrios. This floor is clear. We shall head down into the Chamber and see to our preparations.” She lead the way, her staff clunking against the ground in front of her. Adrios fell into step beside her automatically, trying to process her words. Even in his state of shock, he spared her staff a mildly envious glance. A beautiful piece of craftsmanship from the dwarves and a personal gift to her from the Shapers of Orzammar. Ebony metal formed twisting dragon heads, circling up to the open mouths of the dragons holding a large blue crystal between them. The power radiating from the staff was palpable, and even being several yalms away enhanced Adrios’ own power.

The controlled chaos snapped Adrios back to reality however. Were they really going to uproot the entire tower and leave? Where could they go? No place was safe for apostates, and they would be branded that by leaving their Circle even accompanied by their templars. How could they possibly keep all of these mages, including the forty or so apprentices, without the Circle income? What about the children?

They strode down the stairs, reaching the landing for the second floor before Adrios remembered. “Lydia!” He spoke quietly but with authority. Lydia glanced at him. If she was surprised to hear the voice of a leader in him, she didn’t show it. “I need to warn you. I sensed blood magic at work on the first sub-level. The First Enchanter and Knight Commander were going to investigate when we heard about the mob.” Lydia’s eyes narrowed.

“So then,” She muttered. “The plot thickens. Hurry Adrios!” She lengthened her strides. Even as tall as he was, Adrios was forced into a jog to keep pace. They passed quickly into the entrance hall, still ringing with the cries of the mob outside and their banging against the heavy front doors. They passed through the large dining hall, with the First Enchanter and Knight Commander barely noticing their passing as they addressed the group of templars.

The large set of double doors in the dining hall leading to the sublevels were deeply warded. They typically need high level magic to lower the wards or the assistance of a powerful templar. Not to mention the doors being locked. But this was no problem for the two of them. Lydia broke the ward with a thought and a gesture, and Adrios gestured to the door. A bit of delicate force magic to tip the tumblers of the lock and the door clicked and slowly creaked open. The eternally burning torchlight of the sublevels flickered through the now open doorway into the dining hall, reflecting off the staves that Lydia and Adrios had both drawn. They both exchanged a look and started forward. Adrios slowed his breathing as they advanced slowly, allowing his senses to stretch out around him in the quiet of these halls.

The silence was absolute.

Adrios let the concentration fall away, and saw that Lydia was watching him. “I don’t sense anything out of the ordinary. When I was concentrating earlier, it seemed like there was a malevolent wall of energy surrounding a single storage room. You said that the senior staff all voted against the dissolution of the Circle. Was the decision unanimous by the Tower?”

Lydia seemed thoughtful. “Unanimous by the enchanters and all of the mages that had passed their Harrowing. We didn’t discuss it with the apprentices or the Tranquil. Do you think that the apprentices might have had something to do with this?”

“I can’t think of anyone else that would have had an issue with the Circle,” Adrios said quietly as they advanced along the corridor. Lydia didn’t answer, but she didn’t have to. Adrios could hear whispers, almost as if someone in another room was whispering. It reminded him of his visits to the Fade, and he could feel the hair raising on his neck. He didn’t need to focus his senses to know that this was blood magic. “Can you feel that?” He whispered to Lydia. She nodded, and indicated a door that was a few feet from them. Adrios nodded and focused his energies.

Lydia shoved the door open without any provocation. She strode into the storage room, Adrios several steps behind her. Storage rooms such as these are normally lines with shelves with boxes and crates in the center of the room organized due to their uses. This room however, was completely bare. Except for the circle of people in the center of the room. Adrios could smell the copper scent of blood now, having passed the perimeter of their cloaking spell. They turned and stared confidently at the pair of them.

“And here they are!” One of them leered. “Here to drag us in chains along with you?”

“Maybe they just want more slaves to keep under their thumbs,” Another jeered.

“Why on earth would any of us want to do that?” Lydia scoffed. “The alliance between the templars and the Circle kept us safe, allowed us to live in safety and live with our brothers and sisters. Dissolving the Circle—”

“—is the only path forward!” A new voice stated confidently. The mage that had been in the background moved forward. Adrios flinched but didn’t say anything. The aura around him was almost palpable, a deep burning and malevolent aura. This new mage was possessed. Adrios was certain of this. Lydia, however, had eyes only for this new mage.

“Malciah,” She began softly. “Why are you doing this?” Malciah laughed, the air ringing with the sound. It raised all the hair on Adrios’ arms, and Adrios redoubled his efforts to focus his energies. He knew that he couldn’t hold his own against all of them, with their blood magic to amplify their powers.

“Because I desired power of course!” Malciah’s voice grew more distorted, and he saw Lydia’s eyes widen in realization.

“Let him go demon!” She spat. Malciah chuckled, walking around the other mages.

“Why would I ever do that? When I could do THIS!” Malciah raised his hands above his head and energy roared from his body. Adrios could tell what he intended to do before he did it and he grabbed Lydia’s arm and dragged her back. There was an almost audible tearing noise and he could feel the Veil being torn apart.

“Lydia, we have to set up wards!” Adrios shouted to her, as spirits and demons alike began to press against this weakened spot of the Veil. “We still need to evacuate!”

“You go,” She said grimly, pulled her arm free. “I will not allow one of my students to do this to our home.” Adrios made a sound of protest and she stared at him fiercely. “You know that I won’t change my mind Adrios.”

Adrios made a helpless noise, and he could feel a heaviness against his heart. “I don’t want to lose you Lydia.” His voice quavered slightly on the last word. She smiled at him gently and patted his cheek.

“You have always been dear to me child,” She smiled sadly to him and took Adrios’ hands in hers. She then sighed and made Adrios wrap his fingers around her staff. “Take this, and lead them from here.” Adrios felt tears stinging his eyes and his lips trembling. She turned and threw her arms wide. Adrios could feel her aura churning around her, mana twisting about her and she began to use every single drop of mana in her body to create the necessary bindings. She strode back into the room and slammed the door behind her.

Adrios gritted his teeth and felt the tears drop onto the floor as he threw up a hand and glyphs appeared on the door and surrounding walls. He created a powerful seal, pouring mana into it until he felt the Veil reasserting itself. Then, he felt an explosion of magic from beyond the seal.

He could feel Lydia die, in that moment. But she took the demon and the blood mages with her. And they had no hope of defending against that attack. But their damage had been done. Demons slipped across the Veil and pushed against Adrios’ seal. Finding no escape that way, Adrios could sense them flitting out of the tower. Adrios ran back up the corridor, hearing a loud commotion in the dining hall.

All of the residents of the tower were gathered in the dining hall, facing the main doorway leading to the entrance hall. Loud voices echoed from there, and Adrios could recognize Belle’s among these. He pushed to join them.

“—you expect us to take your words for it!?” An aggressive voice shouted at Belle. Adrios saw him carrying a pitchfork, but not carrying it in the proper style for it to be used as a weapon. He was still carrying it as a farm tool, and not something to be used in battle. Belle was trying to be soothing, gentle.

Raymond stepped forward, his stance unyielding. “We have guarded them for years, ser. We will not stop now, simply because some people decided we shouldn’t.”

“But--!” A woman protested behind the pitchfork-wielding man.

“But nothing,” Belle’s voice brooked no argument. “What other Circles are doing are not our concern. This Circle remains whole, and I will not—” She caught sight of Adrios, holding Lydia’s staff. Her eyes widened, and Adrios inclined his head to avert his gaze. Belle paused and then exchanged a significant look with Raymond. “However.” She turned to gaze out across the room. “We need to leave this place. More will come.” She turned on her heel, eyeing the man with the pitchfork. “We make for the Chantry in Ostwick. We will speak on this with Revered Mother Gabriella.” She glanced to Raymond. “Can you send a messenger ahead and alert her?” Raymond inclined his head and moved away. Belle moved towards Adrios.

“Malciah was possessed,” Adrios said in an even voice. Belle did not react, keeping a calm and blank face. “The demon tore the Veil. We are not safe here. I placed a seal upon the room to hold them from entering the tower, but they are fleeing out. Lydia used her life energy to destroy the circle of maleficarum.” Belle was silent, staring at Adrios but seeing through him.

“There will be time to mourn later,” She whispered. She cleared her throat loudly. “I have a task for you, of the utmost importance and secrecy.” She stepped close to Adrios, and he looked up at her. She could see the hurt and pain that he was masking, but did not comment on it.

“Yes First Enchanter?” Adrios kept his voice even and calm.

“The Revered Mother will ask me to make recommendations about who should attend a….gathering,” She paused on the last word, lowering her voice. “Divine Justinia is attempting to garner peace between mages and templars and has called for a Conclave at the Temple of Sacred Ashes in Fereldan.” Adrios raised his eyebrows in surprise. “She will be attending, and will ask me to send along a representative from the Circle at Ostwick. You are my choice.” Adrios blinked at her.

“Me?” He questioned, his face puzzled. “I’m only a few years out of apprenticeship, shouldn’t you send—”

“You,” Belle repeated firmly, interrupting him. “You are the brightest among us, and more powerful than even I. No,” She held up a finger, stalling Adrios’ attempt at interrupting again, “do not deny. I know you are more powerful and intelligent than I am. If things had not happened this way, you would be taking my place in a few years. As it stands, your skills at diplomacy and your vast knowledge may stop this war before more lives are lost.”

“I…” Adrios was stunned. “Very well. I will not let you down, First Enchanter.”

She smiled at him. “I know you won’t. Now let’s move, before they change their minds and decide to burn down this tower with us inside it.”


	2. Inconvenient Amnesia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up in chains with no memory? 
> 
> Not a fun time.

Chapter 2 – Inconvenient Amnesia

Adrios groaned. He was lying face down on hard ground. He rolled onto his back, and sat up. His surroundings were eerie, distorted reflections of a temple in the mountains.

“Why am I in the Fade?” His voice echoed around him, despite his efforts to keep his voice low. He could see a very rough path leading up to the top of a jagged mountain, where a very bright green light was emanating. Adrios pushed himself upright, surprised to see his elaborate dress robes torn and Lydia’s staff still in its sheath across his back. “Am I…physically in the Fade? How…?” Adrios’ mind felt like it had been scrambled, he could remember none of the recent events. He shook his head as if to clear it, but this just caused a powerful twinge across his head. _Get out of here first_ , he decided. _Then try to figure all of this out._

He started up the path, moving as quickly as the budding migraine would allow. _Is his own mana feeding his existence here? Is this a mana burn headache?_ He had these occasionally when he overexerted himself while experimenting.

A rustling noise behind him made him stop. He turned and scanned, but saw nothing. Being in the Fade meant that was a demon most likely if it was aggressive, but perhaps he would be lucky and it would be one of the kinder spirits. In the case of the latter, he would need to wait for it to show himself and that would not be soon. In the case of the former…well, he would need to know what kind of demon it was in order to battle it.

He continued up the path, trying to move quickly despite his growing headache.

The rustling came again. And turned into a…sliding noise? Like leather, being slid across the ground. Adrios felt the hair on his neck rise, and he turned again with a heart full of dread.

A gigantic serpent, easily twelve feet long, slithered across the ground towards him. Its slit-like pupils staring directly at Adrios, whose blood turned to ice. Adrios turned and sprinted up the hill, hearing more slithering coming from around him. He could see the bright green getting much closer now, in the shape…of a woman?

She reached out, trying to help Adrios on his climb towards her. He reached out a hand and—

_Darkness._

_A ringing silence._

Adrios felt himself drifting into consciousness. He was upright, and his headache was gone. He blinked his eyes open. He was still in his torn robes, Lydia’s staff was gone. His hands were…shackled? _What is going on?_

Searing pain ran up his arm from his left hand, and green light poured from his palm. He gasped in surprise and pain, noticing guards surrounding him with swords drawn reacting to his noise. The door in front of him banged open.

Two tall women walked through the doorway. One walked fluidly, like a prowling tiger. Dressed in black leather and muted chainmail adorned with the symbol of the Chantry and a hood drawn over her face, she seemed very much the mystery. He could see her red hair framing her face, and soft green eyes looking at him intently. The second woman strode forward, each step purposeful and easily outpacing the redhead. She had short black hair, with a circlet of black cord around the top of her head. She wore heavy armor, mostly red leathers and black metal, all adorned with the symbol of the Chantry. At her approach, the guards all lowered their weapons. Adrios remained extremely still, unsurprised when the black haired woman prowled around him like a hungry wolf.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now,” She growled next to his ear, and Adrios had to fight the impulse to jump. “The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you.” Adrios could feel the pulse jumping in his throat. 

“What do you mean everyone is dead?” Adrios stammered out, his mind racing.

The black haired woman ignored his response, grabbing his left hand and wrenching it upwards. “Explain this.” As if on cue, the green light poured from his hand again and Adrios stifled the cry of pain that bubbled up in his throat.

“I…can’t,” Adrios said, quietly.

“What do you mean, you can’t?!” The woman shouted at him.

“I don’t know what that is, or how it got there.” Adrios responded, trying to keep the venom out of his voice.

“You’re lying!” The woman shouted at him, throwing his shackled hands back down and putting her hand on the sword at her hip. The redheaded woman was suddenly there, holding the black haired woman’s hand from reaching her sword.

“We need him Cassandra,” Her voice was musical and heavily accented. _Orlesian? I need to focus._ The redheaded soft green eyes were now on him, boring into his own vivid emerald ones. The color of her eyes might be soft, but there was steel in them. He glanced downwards, his mind suddenly filled with the thought of Revered Mother Gabriella. After weeks of traveling with her and Knight Lieutenant Sarah, he had come to respect them a great deal.

His eyes suddenly burned with tears. “All of those people…dead.”

“Do you remember what happened?” Adrios’ eyes snapped up to see the redhead still staring at him. “How this began?”

Adrios sniffled a little, clearing his throat. “I remember running. Giant snakes were chasing me. And then…a woman?”

“A woman?” The redhead repeated, her voice showing the surprise her face wouldn’t let her show. Adrios was desperate to have her believe him.

“She reached out to me, but then—” His mind seared again, and he groaned. He reached up as best as he could with his shackled hands and pressed his palms into his eyes. He tried to calm himself, to draw upon the magic he had learned as a spirit healer to calm the tempest inside his head. Slowly he felt a trickle of magic pass through his palms into his mind and the migraine subsided.

“Go to the forward camp, Leliana.” The black haired woman—Cassandra?—stated, sighing slightly. “I will take him to the rift.” Adrios looked up to see the redhead striding away down the hall into darkness. Cassandra came back to where Adrios sat on the floor and knelt down, pulling out a set of keys and unlocking his shackles.

“What did happen?” Adrios asked urgently. He saw a shadow pass over her face as the shackles fell away to reveal that he was also bound tightly with rope. She gripped his right elbow and helped him stand.

“It…” She hesitated. “It will be easier to show you.” She turned and walked towards the door. When the guards didn’t move, Adrios hesitantly followed her. She led him out of the hall and up a flight of stairs. Everything was extremely dark here, but he could see Cassandra very well thanks to the bright red leather pieces to her armor. He noticed her olive colored skin as he attempted to keep pace with her while still having his hands bound. _Hmm…possibly from Nevarra? She does have a bit of an accent, and she looks the part._ Cassandra turned and he found himself in the center of a large building. He was confused and disoriented but still followed her as she led him towards large oak doors. _This almost looks like a Chantry building? But where could this be? There was only that little village near the Temple…_ Cassandra nodded as she approached the doors and more soldiers appeared from the shadows to push the doors open for them. They looked at Adrios with contempt, but he was used to that after living in a Chantry for a month. They emerged into a snowy village, people going about their way. The sun seemed bright, but… _the sun isn’t green?_

Adrios let his eyes follow the trail of green and the sky above the mountain where the Temple of Sacred Ashes had once dominated the landscape was now an angry green cloud. He could see it surging and rippling and his mind flashed back to the tear in the Veil that Malciah had opened. He felt his mind spinning, churning out possibilities as to how this could have happened. Thoughts whipped by faster than he could follow.

“We call it the Breach,” Cassandra’s voice roused him from his musings. “It’s a massive rift into the realm of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave.” Adrios’ brow furrowed.

“An explosion?” Adrios’ mind was still racing. _An explosion couldn’t rip open the Veil,_ he thought grimly. _This was magic, but the amount of magic needed would have been immense. And a ritual of unimaginable magnitude._

“Unless we act, the Breach will grow until it swallows the world,” Cassandra continued grimly, staring at Adrios.

Suddenly, the green beam of light that was the Breach flared and seemed to intensify. At the same moment, the green light appeared on Adrios’ palm again and pain surged up his arm. He couldn’t contain his shout of agony this time, and he fell to his knees holding his palm against him as he felt the pain burn through him. He heard Cassandra’s boots approach and she knelt beside him. “Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads. And it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn’t much time.”

“Key?” Adrios’ mind was clearing. The pain had vanished as quickly as it had come, the light gone once the Breach in the sky had stopped surging with light. “The key to doing what?”

“Closing the Breach,” Cassandra responded simply. “Whether that’s possible is something we will find out. It is our only chance however. And yours.” Her last statement was pointed, and he would’ve had to be deaf and dumb to not realize her implication.

“But…” Adrios said slowly. “You think I’m guilty? That I…ripped open the Breach, and did this to myself?”

“Someone did,” Cassandra responded. “And you are our only suspect.”

“I…understand,” Adrios took a deep breath and looked Cassandra full in the face. “I’ll help however I can. I’ll do whatever it takes.” Cassandra seemed taken aback, but the sharp grey eyes that had been staring him down moments earlier seemed to soften a little. She helped him stand again, and Adrios nodded. They set off down the path again.

They passed dozens of people, all hissing and booing him. “They have decided your guilt.” Cassandra said simply. “They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, Head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace, between mages and templars. She brought their leaders together. Now…they are dead.” They were moving quickly and with purpose, Cassandra clearly eager to put this mark to the test. Adrios could not blame her. He may be used to being hated by common people, but some of the people seemed ready to lynch him at any moment. “They lash out like the sky.” Cassandra was watching his discomfort and did not seem fazed by it. They went through a large set of wooden gates and moved down a road towards a bridge. “We must think beyond ourselves, as She did.” Adrios was extremely curious about this Cassandra. _She speaks about the Divine like she is a living incarnation of Andraste. She must have been very close to her…or thought she was._ Adrios’ understanding of the Divine after some carefully worded questions to the Revered Mother was that she was a ruthless leader with an unending amount of compassion. But she did not let people close, because she could not afford to. Ostwick may have been a part of the Free Marches, but Adrios was familiar with The Great Game.

A slow dance of power and authority, played by the rich and powerful of Orlais. If you wanted to make a name for yourself in the country, you had to play The Game. If you could circumvent the silver tongues and daggers aimed for your back and speak your own sweet words, you would rise in power. Those who couldn’t play were forgotten.

Or dead.

They passed through another gate, this one showing claw marks of demons. Adrios let his mind stop wandering at the sight of this, and Cassandra turned to face him. She drew a dagger and Adrios tensed slightly. She cut his rope bindings and Adrios gratefully rubbed his wrist. As she sheathed her dagger, she said, “There will be a trial. I can promise no more.” Adrios nodded. _If I survive this, I can worry about being hung for killing the Divine. Supposedly killing her anyway._

“Where are you taking me?” Adrios fell into step beside her, striding up a bridge crossing a frozen ravine to another set of wooden doors. There were wooden spikes along the bridge, and crude wooden barricades. Harassed looking soldiers were moving with purpose, all of them ignoring Cassandra and Adrios.

“Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach,” Cassandra explained and Adrios nodded.

“Of course,” He replied, running a hand through his carefully styled red hair. The combination of gel and magic had kept his hair perfect, even after surviving his romp through these wintry woods and the explosion. “I assume you’re taking me to one of the smaller tears?”

“Rifts,” Cassandra corrected and they passed through the doors at the other end of the bridge. “And yes.” As she passed a soldier, she made a motion and the solider threw her a black iron shield emblazoned with the symbol of the Chantry. She slung it across her back, and continued her brisk pace. They followed a path up the side of the mountain, more sharp wooden spikes every couple yards and soldiers running back to the bridge with obvious injuries.

“Maker!” One wailed. “It’s the end of the world!”

Adrios rolled his eyes, but that was when he started seeing the corpses. His expression hardened, and he lengthened his strides. He was level with Cassandra when a loud noise like thunder reached his ears. He recognized it from before when the Breach was surging but he couldn’t brace himself in time. The pain slammed into him, knocking the wind out of him and he felt himself collapse to his knees. He was holding his right wrist, gritting his teeth and trying to not whimper as the pain surged through him.

And just as suddenly, it was over. Cassandra was standing over him, her expression was difficult to read. She gripped his upper arms and stood him back on his feet, Adrios trying to smooth his expression back into a pleasant smile but the memory of the pain stayed with him. “The pulses are coming faster now.” Cassandra’s observation was obvious, but Adrios didn’t respond immediately as they started walking again. “The larger the breach grows, the more rifts appear, the more demons we face.”

“How…did I survive the blast?” Adrios asked hesitantly as they neared another bridge.

“They said you…stepped out of a rift,” Cassandra seemed reluctant to tell him, and he could tell she wasn’t telling him the whole truth. “And then fell unconscious. They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was.” They stepped onto the worn cobblestone of the next bridge. “Everything farther in the valley was laid waste, including the Temple of Sacred Ashes. I suppose you’ll see soon enough.”

They were about halfway across the bridge when there was a loud roar. Adrios reacted instinctively, reaching for his staff but remembering that he was unarmed. He swore softly under his breath in the language of the Qun, something he was fond of doing. A large green orb was flying their way from the Breach and—before they could react—slammed into the bridge. Adrios had been expecting something ethereal like the Fade, but this was like a toxic fireball. The bridge exploded, soldiers screaming as they went flying or were blown apart. The bridge crumbled, and Adrios and Cassandra fell.

They landed hard on rubble from the bridge, and rolled down the slope to rest at the frozen ravine under the bridge. They both stirred, and Cassandra was holding the side of her head as she stood. Adrios could see a large cut across the side of her head but she didn’t seem fazed by it. Adrios stood and brushed himself off. Another roar of a ball of energy came, and he turned to see the ball of green energy slammed into the ground in front of them. He heard an otherworldly snarl, and saw shades forming. Cassandra drew her shield and sword.

“Stay behind me!” She commanded, charging forward to do battle with the first shade. Adrios cast his eyes about. _Come on, there has to be a spare—aha!_ His eyes fell upon a staff, tossed aside by the collapsing bridge. It was a simple staff meant for apprentices, but he was delighted to have something to help him focus his powers. And he loved hitting things.

More shades were forming. A total of six at this point, all converging upon Cassandra who didn’t even slow her onslaught. Adrios gestured however, and a barrier sprung to life over Cassandra. Her head jerked and she saw Adrios standing with the staff. Her eyes narrowed, but she focused again on the shades surrounding her. Adrios focused his powers, and threw his hand forward. Lightning crackled out and arced across four of the shades. They shrieked and collapsed in a twitching heap, dissolving back to nothing moments later. Cassandra impaled one of the remaining shades as Adrios made another gesture and the last had ice creep across it and freezing it in place. Cassandra pulled her sword from the shade as it dissolved into nothingness, and Adrios swung his staff against the frozen shade. It exploded into fragments, and those fragments disappeared.

“It’s over,” Adrios said calmly, straightening from his battle posture.

“Drop your weapon!” Cassandra commanded, pointing her sword at him. “Now!” Adrios raised his eyebrows and dropped the weapon.

“Fine,” He replied calmly. “Have it your way.” He made to step back but Cassandra gestured for him to stop.

“Wait,” She seemed to be at war with herself for a moment, and finally she sheathed her blade and shield. “You don’t need a staff, but you should have one.” She gazed at him thoughtfully for a long moment before continuing. “I should remember you agreed to come willingly.” She knelt down and picked up the staff he had thrown down and handed it back to him.Adrios was surprised with her attitude, but pleased. It was always easier to work spells with a focus. Thankfully, his torn robes still had his sheath for the staff and he happily sheathed it across his back. “This way,” Cassandra led him up an embankment and back towards the road that had been ravaged by the Breach energy discharges. _What should I call them? Breach balls? Somehow that seems sexual._ He chuckled to himself and saw Cassandra look at him questioningly. Adrios cleared his throat.

“Where are all your soldiers?” He asked innocently, and Cassandra seemed to move on away from his unexplained giggling.

“In the forward camp, or fighting,” She replied. “We are on our own for now.” Adrios’ heart sank and he stared up at the Breach for a moment before forging ahead. He led the way, Cassandra a few steps behind, leading the way up the bank and along the side of the river. Another ball of green fire came flying down with a loud roar, spawning forth more shades and wraiths. Adrios stopped and raised his hands, lightning and ice surrounding his fingers. Cassandra charged forward with his shield and sword at the ready as Adrios began to cast his spells.

They continued to forge ahead, making short work of the shades that spawned from the Breach. Between Adrios’ both offensive and defensive magic, Cassandra was more of a distraction to the shades and wraiths that spawned to allow Adrios to wreak devastation. “You’re quite talented ser mage,” Cassandra commented to him as they forged along a frozen river, having just cleared a large section of shades.

“As are you,” Adrios inclined his head to her. They turned to start up a path leading up to the top of a cliff.

“We are getting close to the rift!” Cassandra called up to him, still allowing Adrios to lead the way. “You can hear the fighting.”

“Who’s fighting?” Adrios called back, panting slightly from climbing the harsh slope.

“You’ll see soon. We must help them!” They reached the top of the climb at this point, rejoining the road that wound its way to the Temple. They could see a destroyed building near a second bridge that had been destroyed, and through the ruined building Adrios could see the rift that had formed. There were a few soldiers fighting, and he could see flashes of magic as well as see a dwarf firing bolts from a crossbow. Cassandra leapt down from the ledge and charged forward. Adrios leapt lightly down, bracing his fall with his staff by channeling force energy through the staff. Snow and dust blew up around his fall, and he focused his energies to create barriers across the fighting soldiers. His barrier went up just before a shade went to decapitate a soldier. The blow struck the barrier as the soldier flinched, skittering across the barrier and giving the soldier an opening to deal the killing blow. Adrios slammed the butt of his staff into the ground and a spike of earth slammed out of the spot his staff hit and slammed into a shade at the speed of sound, instantly killing it. Adrios turned and saw that the other shades had been dealt with. An elf in simple clothing strode forward and grabbed Adrios’ wrist roughly.

“Quickly!” He shouted at Adrios. “Before more come through!” The elf pointed Adrios’ wrist at the crackling green rift, and a beam of green energy connected the light in his palm to the rift. Adrios cried out in alarm and pain, the beam drawing upon his mana against his will. A loud crackling noise, and the rift vanished in an explosion of sound. Adrios stared at the now clear spot of space, his mind racing.

“What did you do?” Adrios stared at the elf, his head almost spinning with the amount of thoughts in his mind.

“I did nothing,” The elf seemed almost amused at his response. “The credit is yours.” Adrios glanced down at his left palm, now quiet and almost normal in appearance.

“You mean this…thing on my hand,” Adrios said, almost to himself.

“Whatever magic opened the Breach also placed that mark upon your hand,” The mage continued. “I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach’s wake—and it seems I was correct.”

“Meaning it could also close the Breach itself,” Cassandra breathed, stepping close to the two mages and sheathing her sword and shield. The elven mage turned to face Cassandra, holding his staff as if it was a simple walking stick and leaning onto it.

“Possibly,” The mage shrugged, glancing back to Adrios. Adrios could sense immense power underneath this carefully constructed shabby exterior. The mask this elf wore was impressive. “It seems you hold the key to our salvation.”

“Good to now,” A deep and sonorous voice stated. The dwarf that had been firing crossbow bolts from a very impressive and complex-looking crossbow approached their group, sheathing his crossbow and dusting off his tailcoat. “Here I thought we would be ass-deep in demons forever.” He inclined his head towards Adrios. “Varric Tethras: rogue, storyteller, and occasionally—” He winked at Cassandra, who scowled back at him “—unwelcome tag-along.”

“Wait,” Adrios said, his name ringing a bell in his mind. “Varric Tethras? THE Varric Tethras?” Varric seemed to grimace, but he looked down to adjust his cuffs. “I’m a huge fan of Hard in Hightown. And Swords and Shields.” Varric looked up, shock and amusement coloring his expression.

“Swords and Shields?” Varric laughed. “You _read_ that rag?” No one else seemed to notice, but Adrios saw Cassandra shift, her face flushing. Adrios laughed, and extended his hand to the dwarf. The dwarf laughed as well and they clasped forearms.

“Adrios Trevelyan,” Adrios performed a slight bow, smiling broadly. “At your service.”

“Bianca and I will be great help in the valley,” Varric said confidently, smiling broadly to Adrios.

“Absolutely not!” Cassandra stepped forward, her accent becoming more pronounced as she grew agitated. “Varric, your help is appreciated but—”

“Have you been in the valley lately Seeker?” Varric’s voice was the epitome of diplomacy, calm and pleasant. “Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore. You _need_ me.” Cassandra growled her frustration and turned from the dwarf. After a moment full of tension between them, the elf cleared his throat politely.

“And I am Solas, if there are to be introductions,” The mage smiled, but Adrios could see the mask he had left up. “I am pleased to see you still live.”

“He means he kept that mark from killing you while you slept,” Varric added, a chuckle to his voice. Adrios’ eyebrows raised and he looked at Solas’ gently smiling face and felt a prickle of unease.

“You seem to know a great deal about it all,” Adrios said in what he hoped was a conversational tone.

“Unlike you, Solas was an apostate,” Cassandra spoke up, eyeing the two mages.

“When the Circles rebelled, all mages became apostates,” Solas replied. “That word holds little meaning now.” Solas paced around Adrios slowly. Adrios could feel him gently probing him with his magic, and he resisted the urge to raise his shields in defiance. _It would be so much easier if people just asked questions_ Adrios thought irritably, and he took a deep breath to try and calm himself. “Cassandra,” Solas stated finally, “you should know. This magic is unlike any I have seen. Your prisoner is a mage—” he glanced to Adrios and studied him carefully before back to Cassandra’s steely gaze “—but I can’t imagine any mage having the power needed to tear open the Veil.”

“That’s not exactly true,” Adrios interrupted, causing all three of them to look to him in shock. “Ostwick Circle did not rebel, and did not fall. Several apprentices turned maleficar were possessed by demons and the most powerful one—a demon of desire—tore a small hole in the Veil to allow more demons through to possess the others. Lydia…used herself to seal the tear, and banish the demons.” Solas stared at him intently and seemed to be weighing his words. Cassandra and Varric both just seemed flabbergasted.

“That would be true,” Solas conceded. “A very powerful demon could weaken the Veil to the point of making it so thin that spirits and demons can pass uninhibited. However, the Breach is something else entirely. It is a direct gateway to allow demons to pass through as they appear in the Fade. And, one can surmise, to allow people to directly enter the Fade. In the flesh.” An uneasy quiet fell upon their group, Adrios’ mind racing with this new information.

“Well,” Cassandra finally said, “our objective remains the same. We can discuss the particulars later. We make for the forward camp.” She strode forward towards a path leading down towards the ravine again, and leapt lightly over fallen beams.

“Well,” Varric beamed at Adrios, “Bianca’s excited.” He patted his crossbow fondly, and followed the Seeker. Adrios glanced around, noting the bodies of fallen soldiers and burning wreckage. He frowned sadly, and then continued after the others. The path led down to a narrow crevice between two rocky cliff faces, and it evened out on a very narrow bank running along the river. Cassandra was striding along this path, heading forward towards what looked like a lake. Or it would be, if everything wasn’t frozen solid. Adrios lengthened his strides, catching up to the party easily.

They emerged from the narrow crevice and there was another roaring noise. Adrios drew his staff instinctively at this point, and threw up a barrier as a green orb fell towards them. Everyone sprung into action, making quick work of the shades that spawned. Adrios took note of his surroundings, studying the abandoned and burning buildings.

“So…” Varric said suddenly. “Did you do it?”

“I don’t remember what happened,” Adrios replied, his concentration on his surroundings. He had read all of Brother Genitivi’s writings on Haven, and the reports from the Hero of Fereldan that had made it across the sea to the Free Marches after the ending of the Fifth Blight about what had happened in the town of Haven and the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It was fascinating to be here in the flesh.

“Shame,” Varric sighed. “You should’ve spun a story.”

“That’s what YOU would have done,” Cassandra said coldly.

“It’s more believable,” Varric replied, smiling widely. “And less likely to result in premature execution.” Pain suddenly seared up Adrios’ left arm, and he felt instead of heard the Breach expand again. He made an involuntary grunt of pain, trying to master the sudden surge of pain.

“We must hurry,” Solas interrupted. “My magic can not stave off the mark forever.” They all nodded, and started striding across the frozen lake. There was a small dock and a set of stairs leading up the side of the mountain. They climbed the stairs, Adrios feeling a tiny bit of relief at actually being able to climb using stairs instead of trying to find purchase on icy rock in his dress boots. These were meant to navigate the halls of Orlais, not climb ice-covered mountains.

They made short work of a few prowling shades, and climbed ever higher. As they approached what seemed to be another plateau on the mountain, Adrios could feel a tingling sensation in his left hand. He opened his mouth to comment on this, but Solas interrupted. “Another rift! We must seal it! Quickly!” They sped up, and discovered a few soldiers attempting to hold a line against a group of shades and wraiths. They quickly turned the tide of the battle, and once they had been cleared, Solas shouted “Quick! Use the mark!”

Acting on instinct, he aimed his palm at the rift and focused. With barely any effort, a beam of energy shot from his palm and connected with the rift. Since he had intended it this way, he could feel the pins and needles shooting up his arm into his shoulder and he could almost feel the strange magic knitting the fabric of the Veil back together. And with another rush of sound, the rift vanished.

“The rift is gone!” Cassandra called. “Open the gate!”

“Right away, Seeker Cassandra.” The soldiers pressed a closed right fist over their heart and bowed, quickly moving to carry out her commands.

“We are clear for the moment,” Solas said, his breath slowing as all of their adrenaline came down to normal levels. “Well done.”

“Whatever that thing on your hand is, it’s useful,” Varric added as the great wooden doors swung open to reveal injured soldiers on cots being tended to by medics. Adrios could feel his heart breaking, just as it did when he was helping the refugees from Kirkwall all those many months ago. He reached out with his energies as a force of habit, and found two soldiers that would be dead without quick intervention. He jogged forward towards the first, the medic falling over in alarm when Adrios knelt down beside him.

“Oh, calm yourself,” Adrios said sternly, examining the man. He placed his hands over the injured woman, and closed his eyes. He reached out with the magic, knowing it would manifest as a softly glowing golden light. He could suddenly see in his minds eye where the injuries were worst. A broken rib, puncturing and collapsing the woman’s lung. A fractured femur. He called out with his mind and felt a spirit respond. He engaged the friendly spirit in the old song and dance, gently requesting permission and assistance and the spirit responding eagerly, happy to lend its aid. He used the spirit to mend the fractured femur, and felt the woman’s breathing grow easier as the rib was repaired along with the lung. Her breathing became that of one in rest, and the medic looked at Adrios in amazement.

Adrios ignored him, but scanned the wounded for the young man that he knew would not last. He could hear arguing in a few feet away, and he briefly noticed the redheaded woman—Leliana?—from earlier arguing with a man in cleric’s robes. Adrios was not to be denied however, and he quickly found the man. He didn’t have to search for the injuries on this man, as the medic attending him was attempting to bind the man’s stomach. Blood was flowing freely, and Adrios could see the mans internal organs through the bandages. He hadn’t let go of the spirit that was assisting him, and he felt another spirit draw close to lend its aid as well. He poured gratitude into their shared connection, and knelt next to the cot. He held his hands above the wound and concentrated again. He felt the magic pour forth, sealing the external injuries and stopping the flow of blood. He continued to probe with his magic, searching for any nicks on the organs to ensure there was no internal bleeding. Satisfied, he released the spirits that were assisting him and they returned back to the Fade.

Adrios stood and noticed Cassandra and Solas watching him. They both had expressions that were very difficult to read, and didn’t say anything. Varric was watching him with almost a frown on his face, but Adrios could tell that the frown wasn’t directed at him. Adrios cleared his throat. “Shall we?” He indicated Leliana and noticed his hands were drenched in blood. He wiped them on his robes, and pushed hair out of his face. His concentration on trying to keep his hair under control was waning under all of these activities.

They approached Leliana and this cleric. “Ahh. Here they come,” The cleric sneered.

“You made it!” Leliana seemed relieved, staring from Cassandra to Adrios. “Chancellor Roderick, this is—”

“I know who he is,” The cleric spat out. “As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution.”

“Order ME?” Cassandra scoffed. “You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!”

“And you are a thug,” Roderick retorted, “but a thug that supposedly serves the Chantry.”

“We serve the Most Holy Chancellor,” Leliana interrupted, her eyes downcast. “As you well know.”

“Justinia is dead!” Roderick shouted at them. “We must elect a replacement, and obey _her_ orders on this matter.”

“Isn’t closing the Breach the more pressing issue here?” Adrios spoke up, trying to diffuse this situation. “Can’t we focus on this first?”

“YOU brought this on us in the first place!” Roderick snapped at Adrios. Cassandra stepped forward towards the Chancellor and the table he was standing behind.

“Call a retreat Seeker,” Roderick’s voice was suddenly tired. “Our position here is hopeless.”

“We can stop this before it’s too late,” Cassandra replied.

“How? You won’t survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers.”

“We must reach the Temple. It’s the quickest route!”

“But not the safest,” Leliana interrupted, pointing to a path that led away from the main path to the Temple. “Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains.”

“We lost an entire squad on that path,” Cassandra shook her head. “It’s too risky.”

“Listen to me!” Roderick urged. “Abandon this now, before more lives are lost!”

As if on cue, there was another roar. This time, Adrios was adequately prepared and didn’t make a noise. His entire arm shook with the force of it, the mark glowing and vibrating the air around it as the Breach expanded in the heavens. Everyone turned to face him, and Adrios stared back at them with a blank expression. _I will not show weakness to these vultures. I refuse to_ , Adrios thought grimly. Roderick glared at him.

“How do you think we should proceed?” Cassandra asked him baldly. Adrios cocked an eyebrow.

“You’re asking me now?” Adrios was confused. He was, after all, technically still a prisoner in all of this.

“You have the mark,” Solas interjected.

“And you are the one we must keep safe,” Cassandra continued. “Since we cannot agree on our own…” She shrugged.

Adrios didn’t hesitate. “I say we charge.” Adrios crossed his arms, and set his jaw. “I won’t survive long enough for your trial. Whatever we do, we must do now.”

“Bring everyone left in the valley Leliana,” Cassandra told the redhead, nodding at her solemnly. “Everyone.” She turned and started towards the other end of the bridge.

“On your head be the consequences Seeker!” Roderick called after her, his voice like acid. Cassandra led the way across the bridge, Adrios on her heels. They passed through the next set of doors, which opened onto stairs climbing up and up…and up.

Adrios sighed and they climbed. Thankfully they encountered no rifts, no demons. Just stairs stretching on endlessly. But finally, they reached the top and there was another large wooden door. Cassandra pushed one of the doors open and the party filed through. It almost looked like a battlement, a large flat stone floor stretching on for about twenty feet and then stairs leading up towards the Temple entrance. They continued on. Adrios noticed supplies and crates stacked around. This must be the soldier’s front line camp. They climbed up the stairs and noticed more wounded. None seriously, however, after a quick glance around by Adrios. This small clearing had another set of stairs leading up to a set of destroyed wooden doors and—from what Adrios could tell from the architecture—the main entrance to the Temple.

They filed up the stairs, and noticed another glowing rift. Cassandra drew her sword and charged forward to engage the demons. Adrios noticed several soldiers and a blonde man in much more elaborate armor engaging the demons, and they were severely outnumbered. Adrios drew his staff and cast a barrier, looking down at Varric with a grin on his face. “Let’s even the odds, shall we?” Varric laughed at him, and started shooting crossbow bolts. Adrios rained devastation from afar, lightning and stone killing shades and wraiths in seconds.

“We need to seal this rift to get past!” Solas shouted, lobbing a ball of fire towards a large terror demon that was clawing its way out of the ground. It shrieked in anger as the fire scorched through it, and it dissolved into a bubbling pile.

“Quickly!” Cassandra shouted to Adrios, slicing clean through a shade with her sword. Adrios nodded and turned towards the rift. With a thought and that unpleasant sensation again, the rift was sealed with a rush of noise.

“Sealed,” Solas was breathing a little hard from their fight and sheathed his staff, “as before. You are becoming quite proficient at this.”

“Let’s hope it works on the big on,” Varric’s voice was dry. The blonde man strode over to them, sheathing his sword. He was dressed in plate mail with chain covering what would have been exposed joints in the plate. He wore an impressive fur mantle over the plate, and he had a scar across his upper lip. And Adrios found himself staring into the mans blue eyes. _Like a spring from a mountain, such a pretty crystal blue._ He realized he was staring with his mouth open and shook himself a little, willing himself not to blush.

“You sealed the rift Cassandra?” The man said, crossing him arms. “Good work.”

“Do not congratulate me Commander,” Cassandra said softly, looking over to Adrios. “This is the prisoners doing.”

“Is it?” The Commander looked at him with a steady gaze. “I hope they’re right about you. We’ve lost a lot of good people getting you here.”

“They’re not the only ones hoping that,” Adrios replied dryly, his mouth twisting into a smile.

“We’ll see won’t we?” The Commander responded quietly. He turned to face Cassandra. “The way to the Temple should be clear. Leliana will try to meet you there.”

“Then we best move quickly,” Cassandra replied, looking at Cullen seriously. “Give us time Commander.” Cassandra turned to continue past where they had been fighting…into the devastation that had been a center of hope just days ago.

“Maker watch over you,” Cullen nodded at each of them in turn. “For all of our sakes.” He turned and followed the soldiers back towards the encampment. One of the soldiers was limping, and Cullen slowed to wrap an arm under the soldiers arm and help him to the encampment. Adrios turned away from the wounded soldiers with a heavy heart and followed Cassandra and Solas. Varric brought up the rear.

The Temple was unrecognizable. A couple ruined walls still stood, but devastation was everywhere. The path leading into the temple was destroyed, walls and the former ceilings were knocked down. The party dropped down, following the path into the Temple’s heart. Corpses lined the ground, unrecognizable forms that had died in obvious agony. “The Temple of Sacred Ashes,” Solas breathed.

“What’s left of it,” Varric said, an attempt at humor.

“That is where you stepped out of the Fade,” Cassandra’s voice was soft but carried in the extreme stillness, indicating a large clearing in the rubble and corpses. “And where our soldiers found you. There was a woman in the rift behind you…no one knows who she was.” Adrios was silent, pressing forward towards the odd humming noise that reminded him of the noise his palm made when he sealed a rift. They rounded a corner in a part of hallway that had survived and came into a landing. It overlooked the destroyed inner temple, and you could clearly see the large foreboding rift that was bleeding green energy up into the Breach above.

“The Breach is a long way up,” Varric observed, moving past Adrios to stand near the edge of the landing. Adrios was staring up at the Breach, his heart racing as he considered all the implications of this.

“You’re here!” Adrios jumped a bit, and turned to see Leliana approaching with several scouts. All of them had bows slung across their backs. “Thank the Maker.”

“Leliana, have your men take up positions around the temple,” Cassandra commanded and Leliana nodded, moving back to her men. Cassandra then turned her eyes on Adrios. “This is your chance to end this. Are you ready?” Adrios tore his eyes off the Breach to look at Cassandra.

“I’ll do my best, but I don’t know if I can reach that thing, let alone close it,” Adrios replied, the steel of his conviction in his voice.

“No,” Solas shook his head. “This rift is the first, and is the key. Seal this and perhaps you seal the Breach.”

“Then let’s find a way down,” Cassandra nodded, ready for action. “Be careful.”

They moved across a fallen piece of ceiling, moving in a circle around the large rift. Adrios could sense the energy of the Fade all around. He opened his mouth to comment when a loud accented voice echoed across the area. “Now is the time of our victory. Bring forth the sacrifice.” Adrios’ pulse was jumping in his throat as they continued moving quickly.

“What is that?” Cassandra said quietly, and Varric looked incredibly unsettled.

“The Fade bleeds into this place,” Solas replied quietly.

“Memories of what happened here are echoing across the present,” Adrios added on, swallowing hard. _Why does that voice sound so familiar?_ They continued on, and he saw what looked like broken pieces of red glass starting to line the floor. His heart sank as he started to hear whispering in his mind.

“Maker,” Adrios breathed. “That can’t be what I think it is, can it?” Cassandra looked at him sharply.

“What are you talking about?” Cassandra’s voice was sharp like a whip. Adrios pointed in response, his heart sinking. Large pillars of red stone jutted out at random, hot red energy surrounding them. He heard Varric swear under his breath.

“That’s red lyrium Seeker,” Varric snarled.

“I see it Varric,” Cassandra snapped back.

“What is it DOING here?” Varric looked at Solas and Adrios angrily.

“Magic could have drawn upon the lyrium here,” Solas’ voice was calm but that didn’t seem to do anything for Varric’s flare of anger. “It might have corrupted it.”

“It’s evil,” Varric gave the stones wide berth. “Whatever you do, don’t touch it.”

The voice echoed across the area again, rippling like a stone dropped into a pond. “Keep the sacrifice still.”

A new voice, loud with an Orlesian accent. “Someone—help me!”

Cassandra gasped. “That…is Divine Justinia’s voice!” Adrios reached out and caught her arm, correctly interpreting her body language. Cassandra turned to glare at him as he stopped her from sprinting forward.

“This is echoes of the Fade,” Adrios said firmly, ignoring Cassandra’s glare and speaking quietly. “You must remain cautious and vigilant. This could be a demon playing tricks on us. If it is just an echo, then we are hearing what happened in the past. If that is the Divine’s voice, then it could possibly be moments before the explosion. But be cautious, Seeker.” Cassandra stared at him for a few heartbeats, and Adrios could practically see the gears clinking behind her steely eyes. Finally, she nodded and allowed Adrios to move to take point. They continued their circular path around the large clearing that held the rift and finally found a few ledges with drops of only a foot or so that would allow them to drop into the clearing without injuring themselves.

They all dropped down, moving forward tentatively. As they moved closer to the rift, another ripple of sound echoed out. “Someone help me!” Adrios felt Cassandra’s body jerk in response to the Divine in distress. Then, oddly enough, he heard his own voice echo.

“What’s going on here?” There was anger in his voice, but…anger at what? _Why can’t I remember?_ Adrios’ inner frustration was interrupted.

“That was your voice!” She said slowly, staring from Adrios to the rift and back again. “Most Holy called out to you, but—”

A ripple spread again from the rift, but this time it was accompanied by a visual ripple of green energy. The energy passed away from them and disappeared but shapes were forming. A translucent form of Adrios ran forward on what would have been floor in an undestroyed Temple. “What’s going on here?” He could hear the anger and confusion in his own voice but he didn’t say anything. The form of a old woman in ornate Chantry robes appeared close to his own opaque form.

“Run while you can! Warn them!” The Divine’s voice was pleading, echoing across the clearing.

A new form appeared. Huge compared to the human-like forms of the Divine and Adrios and towering over them. Black clouds of billowing energy created a barely-humanoid figure, and red fire burned where its eyes should be. “We have an intruder.” It was the voice that had been talking this entire time, loud and with an unrecognizable accent. “Kill him. Now!” The shape of a hand pointed at Adrios’ opaque form and then there was a crack that sounded like lightning and the vision was gone.

“You WERE there!” Cassandra shouted, stepping in front of Adrios. “Who attacked?! And the Divine, is she…was this vision true?”

“I’ve told you, I don’t remember what happened!” Adrios snapped at her, his frustration with his inconvenient amnesia mounting. “I have explained this phenomena to you already. The Fade is recreating what happened here. This vision was true to someone but I can’t tell you if it is or is not exactly what happened!”

Solas cleared his throat. “This rift is not sealed, but it is closed. Albeit temporarily. I believe that with the mark the rift can be opened and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side.”

“That means demons!” Cassandra called, and Adrios saw soldiers taking positions around them and several foot soldiers joining them on the ground. “Stand ready!” Adrios took position near the direct base of the rift and readied himself. Cassandra stood near him, shield and sword at the ready. Varric had taken position behind a railing that hadn’t been destroyed, Bianca aimed and at the ready. Adrios looked to Cassandra, who nodded gravely. He pointed his palm up at the crackling rift and concentrated. Green energy connected to the rift and he felt the fabric pulling apart instead of stitching together. There was a bang, and suddenly…he felt his blood turn to ice. A huge hulking form, easily fifteen feet tall loomed over them. Its face had three sets of eyes and it had the huge and muscled form of an ogre. A pride demon. Memories of his Harrowing threatened to overwhelm him, but he calmed his emotions with a huge amount of effort. “Now!” Cassandra shouted and arrows began to fly from the top floors that had survived the explosions.

Adrios concentrated and took a step towards where Varric was. He felt the ground fly underneath him as he Fade Stepped to where Varric was, and suddenly he was a few feet away from the dwarf who was flying crossbow bolts at the monster. Varric shouted in surprise, but his aim did not falter. Adrios began weaving magic, his fingers forming signs as he worked to repeat the trick that had saved him in the Fade. Pride demons were notoriously powerful in lightning magic and force magics, but that strength was also a weakness. He flung his arms wide, the spell completed and channeled the mana.

A rumbling shook the Temple ruins and he saw the fighters pause in their assault. Suddenly, the rock above Adrios shattered and flew towards the demon. Except, it wasn’t falling. A huge fist made from the stone of the Temple was forming, flying towards the demons head. The demon went to duck but it was too slow. With the sound of a landslide, the stone struck the demon across the face and the demon fell backwards from the force of the blow. It fell back onto the stone with a thunderous crash and ghostly blue fire sprang up around the fallen pride demon. Adrios’ hands snapped together and then he traced a circle in the air in front of him, moving rapidly to take advantage of the weakness. The fire spread and formed vast chains that sprung to life and encircled the pride demon. The amount of mana these castings were demanding of Adrios was making his head swim, but he kept his senses. He felt the demon snarl at him but the chains were not intended to kill.

He felt the demon’s essence fade and for the briefest moment felt a rush of intellect and gratitude before the demon’s form shattered. The blue flames died down slowly, and he could sense awe from the people around him. Adrios sighed and turned his attention back to the rift.

“Now! Seal the rift!” Cassandra shouted at him as the demon’s essence floated away on the wind like ash. Adrios gritted his teeth and poured all his focus and energy into the mark on his hand. He thrust it up towards the rift. A powerful green beam connected them, and it almost felt like time stopped for a second.

_This…isn’t enough._

He closed his eyes against the drain on him, his mana being sucked up faster than he could imagine, the mark eating away at the Breach in the sky and then there was an incredibly loud snap.

Adrios was thrown back by the explosion, but the drain was too much. He fell into blackness.


	3. Safe Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our hero awakens in Haven.

Chapter 3 – Safe Haven

_Am I dead?_

Adrios was floating in blackness, weightless.

_I can’t be dead. Shouldn’t I be in the Maker’s bosom or something if I was?_ He smiled at the thought. He was slowly becoming aware of his body and a weight on him like…blankets. He could feel the exhaustion from the mana he had poured out on the edges of his mind like a hangover. He had never attempted such a complex spell in the real world. But he needed to save the world from being consumed by the Breach so he took a risk. _At least it didn’t kill me._ Adrios breathed deeply and felt his chest rising and falling. Adrios tried to open his eyes and they felt incredibly heavy. After some effort, however, they fluttered open. He seemed to be in a simply wooden cabin, a fire crackling near the bed. Adrios found that his body wasn’t as heavy as it had seemed while his eyes were closed and he sat up tentatively. The room spun a little as he sat up and he took some calming breaths.

He heard a gasp and a clatter from the door. Adrios turned his head slowly and saw an elven woman kneeling by the edge of the bed near the door leading—Adrios assumed—outside. Adrios raised an eyebrow at the kneeling woman. “I didn’t know you were awake; I swear!” Adrios shook his head. She had the signs of a mistreated servant.

“That’s perfectly fine,” Adrios said soothingly, scooting to the edge of his bed. “I only just woke up. You have—"

“I beg your forgiveness, and your blessing,” The woman had her forehead pressed against the ground, continuing to kneel in Adrios’ direction. “I am but a humble servant.” Adrios was becoming rapidly alarmed. “You are back in Haven, my lord. They say you saved us. The Breach stopped growing, just like the mark on your hand.” At this, the mark on Adrios’ palm flickered for a moment and Adrios watched it. “It’s all anyone’s talked about for three days!” _Three days unconscious? And I still feel the burn of the mana I spent? I’m lucky it didn’t kill me._ Adrios stood, and turned to look out the window at the countryside by his bed.

“Then the danger is over?” Adrios’ voice was quiet, but the woman still heard him.

“The Breach is still in the sky, but that’s what they say.” Adrios turned on his heel to look at the woman, who was now watching him from her position on the floor with fear in her eyes. She sprang to her feet. “I’m certain Lady Cassandra will want to know you’ve awakened. She said, at once.”

“Where is the Seeker?” Adrios asked, trying to keep a pleasant tone in his voice even as he was hating the fear in her eyes at him. He felt dirty.

“In the Chantry, with the Lord Chancellor,” She scurried out the door. “She said, at once!” Adrios sighed as the door slammed shut behind her. He looked down at himself. He was in a simple tan pair of breeches, a tan tunic, and tan boots that came up to his knees. He grimaced. _Tan? Ew._ He walked over to the small desk tucked in the corner of the room and noticed some progress reports that had been left behind. They talked about how “the patient” was feverish and about a mark was making the healer nervous. Adrios’ smiled as he realized they were updates on his condition while he had been unconscious. _So, it wasn’t the spell that gave me this exhaustion and backlash. It was me trying to close the Breach. It demanded too much of my body._

Satisfied, he turned and strode to the door. He flung it wide and froze. Haven had been a small and almost sleepy village, but about a hundred people or so were all arrayed out in front of his cabin. The closest to the door fell to their knees and bowed their heads. _This is…are they worshiping me?_ Adrios was stunned. The thought of people worshiping him made him feel sick, if he was being honest with himself. It was a repulsive thought.

He smoothed out his face. It may be a repulsive idea, but he needed to control himself better. He adopted a polite smile and walked through a path that rapidly formed in front of him. He could see down into the main street of the tiny village, and he knew that the path leading up the slope would lead towards the towns Chantry. The Chantry was always built in a high point of the village and in the best place defensively. Sure enough, as he reached the main thoroughfare, he saw the large building overlooking the town. He heard mutters as he passed the people, whispers of how he was the only one that had stood against the Breach. People calling him the Herald of Andraste. _Is this because people saw a woman behind me in the Rift? This just keeps getting more and more ridiculous._

He felt his strides lengthening even as he tried to keep his composure. He didn’t want to be worshipped; he didn’t want people to think he was a chosen by the Maker. He just did the right thing, as anyone would in his situation. Soldiers pushed open the grand gates of the Chantry at his approach and they saluted him. He nodded back to them, trying to keep the polite smile on his face. As the doors creaked shut behind him and left him in the quiet darkness of the Chantry, he allowed the smile to drop from his face.

He continued down the main hall of the Chantry, towards a door set in the back of the Chantry. He could hear arguments from there and Cassandra’s voice.

“The prisoner failed, Seeker. For all you know, he intended it this way.” Chancellor Roderick’s voice.

“I do not believe that.” Cassandra’s voice was steel.

“That is not for you to decide! Your duty is to serve the Chantry!”

“ _My duty_ is to serve the ideals the Chantry was founded on, Chancellor. As is yours.”

Adrios smiled as he reached for the handle of the door. He was liking Cassandra more and more as time went on. He strode through the door and was extremely surprised to see templars standing guard on either side of the door.

“Chain him!” Roderick’s voice cracked like a whip, and Adrios’ eyes flicked over to him. “I want him prepared for travel to the capital for trial.” Adrios saw Cassandra roll her eyes.

“Disregard that, and leave us,” She said dismissively to the guards. They saluted her and left the room. Roderick’s face flushed and he glared at Cassandra.

“You walk a dangerous line, Seeker.” His voice was full of venom. Cassandra glared at the Chancellor.

“The Breach is stable, but it is still a threat. I will not ignore it,” She was barely containing the fury she must feel towards this man. Adrios approached the table and crossed his arms.

“I did everything I could to close the Breach,” Adrios spoke at last, staring from the Chancellor to Cassandra to Leliana (who was in the shadows behind Cassandra.) “It almost killed me.”

“And yet you live!” Roderick’s voice was heavy with sarcasm and venom. “A convenient result, insofar as you’re concerned.”

Cassandra’s eyes narrowed at him. “Have a care, Chancellor,” She said through gritted teeth.

“Someone was behind the explosion at the conclave,” Leliana spoke finally, moving forward out of the shadows. “Someone Most Holy did not expect. Perhaps they died with the others. Or have accomplices that yet live.” Adrios reigned in his emotions, but it was hard to keep the smug smile off his face at Roderick’s face as Leliana’s implication set in. Rage and shock and horror raced across his face.

“ _I_ am a suspect!?” Roderick shouted at her.

“You,” Leliana nodded, her voice full of contempt. “And many others.” Roderick turned back towards Adrios.

“But not the prisoner,” Roderick’s voice was harsh.

“I heard the voices in the Temple,” Cassandra retorted. “The Divine called to him for help.”

“So, his survival? That thing on his hand? All a _coincidence_?” Roderick shouted at Cassandra.

“Providence,” Cassandra’s smile was broad at this point. “The Maker sent him to us in our darkest hour.”

This conversation had taken a turn for the unexpected. “You…” Adrios began, his mouth very dry. “You think I’m…chosen by the Maker. I’m just another man. I only did what I could to ease the suffering of people.” He could tell they weren’t swayed by his denials.

“The Breach remains,” Leliana said after a moment of silence following his words. “And your mark is still our only hope of closing it.”

“This is not for you to decide!” Roderick snarled at her. Cassandra growled and pulled out a heavy book from a bag that was resting on the table. She slammed it on the table. The front of the book was emblazoned with the symbol of the Chantry.

“You know what this is Chancellor,” She growled at him. “This is a writ from the Divine, granting us the authority to act. As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn!” She took a step towards Roderick aggressively, who had the good sense to recoil from her. “We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order—with or without your approval.” Roderick seemed to gain some of his confidence back and he turned on his heel and strode out of the hall. Cassandra sighed, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand. She seemed almost embarrassed at having lost her temper.

“This was the Divine’s directive,” Leliana spoke quietly, watching Adrios. His eyes moved back to Leliana. “Rebuild the Inquisition of old…find those who will stand against the chaos. We aren’t ready…” She looked away from the book. “We have no leader, no numbers, and now…no Chantry support.”

Cassandra had recovered herself. “But we have no choice. We must act now.” Cassandra stared hard at Adrios. “With you at our side.” Adrios had read about the original Inquisition. They had been the only major power in the early days of the Chantry religion, and they had been the only reason that a semblance of peace and order had existed during that time. They had hunted maleficarum, rooted out bandits, solved disputes of land and kingdoms…everything they had done was to make the world a better place. And when they had dissolved their Inquisition, they became the original Seekers of Truth…the guiding hand of the templar order.

“If you’re truly trying to restore order…” Adrios said hesitantly.

“That’s the plan,” Leliana said cheerfully, smiling at him.

“Help us fix this,” Cassandra urged him. “Before it’s too late.” Adrios smiled finally at them, and extended his hand. Cassandra gripped it tightly, and they shook hands. There was a moment between the three of them, of solidarity and shared purpose.

And then it was gone, the handshake breaking and Leliana turning to face the large table. Adrios took a look at the table for the first time since he had entered the room, now that the room wasn’t dominated by the cleric who seemed intent on attempting a pissing match with everyone in his surroundings. The table was huge, probably eight feet by four feet, and a large set of maps displaying Fereldan, Orlais, and the southern-most sections of the Free Marches dominated the majority of the table. There were small figurines strewn across the map, in positions that Adrios was sure made a lot of sense to those involved. As Cassandra went to turn back to the table as well, Adrios cleared his throat politely. She looked at him with a questioning look. “I’m still fairly tired Seeker,” He said, smiling at her politely. “Do the two of you mind if I go lay down for a bit?”

“Of course,” Cassandra nodded.

“I would very much like to help as much as I can,” Adrios continued, prompting Leliana to look up. “I will not need to sleep long to recover, and I will probably go make myself useful about the town. If you decide to hold any strategy sessions, please let me know if I can be of any help.” Adrios bowed to the two of them, a slight inclination of his back to show respect, and he turned to leave the room. He heard the two of them begin talking about movements of their soldiers about the surrounding areas and he shut the door quietly behind himself.

The Chantry Hall seemed a little more welcoming now, several clerics moving about their business. Adrios strode down the length of the hall and saw a small door leading to his left. He noticed the words “Library” emblazoned upon its surface and he made a mental note of its location to come back and look at it. He opened the grand doors of the Chantry cautiously, peering about to note that the gathered crowds had indeed dispersed, before striding out the doors and letting them shut behind himself. He strode off to his cabin. _Should I call it “my cabin”?_ He thought bemusedly. _It’s just where I woke up, after all. Maybe I shouldn’t be so bold._ He shrugged to himself and let the cabin door shut behind himself. He was too tired to think of such things. He lay back in the small bed, and didn’t even remove his clothes. He fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

* ~ *

There was a loud rapping.

Adrios’ eyes blinked open. When he had laid down, the sun had just been beginning to rise. Now, the sun was in the western section of the sky. _I must’ve slept for six hours, at least._ Adrios rose from his curled-up position on the bed and stretched.

The rapping noise came again, from the door of his cabin. “Yes?” Adrios called, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. There was no response, but Adrios figured that people were most likely intimidated to impose on him, if this “Herald of Andraste” was indeed what people that he was. “Whoever it is, the door is unlocked. You may come in, I’m decent.” He smiled a bit to himself at the last words and there was a short pause before the door creaked open. One of the soldiers was standing in the doorway, looking terrified but trying not to show it. Adrios didn’t move from where he was sitting on the bed. “What can I do for you ser?” He smiled encouragingly at the soldier and some of the terror seemed to leave his body posture.

“Uh…message for you, Herald,” The soldier moved forward, trying to straighten his posture and saluting Adrios. Adrios chuckled.

“Please, call me Adrios,” Adrios smiled. “Not Herald. What’s the message?” The soldier nodded, but Adrios knew that he would not be so informal.

“The Nightingale would like your presence at the Chantry at your earliest convenience,” He said formally. “They would like your assistance.”

Adrios felt his eyebrows raise at this. “Who is the Nightingale?” He could tell it was a name, the soldier placed enough emphasis to make it obvious. The soldier seemed surprised.

“Sister Leliana,” The soldier explained, almost hesitant to say the name. “That was her code name.” Adrios nodded, understanding blooming across his face. _Ahh. The Left Hand of the Divine._

“Very well,” Adrios nodded and smiled at the soldier. “Thank you for the message.” Perhaps “soldier” was the wrong term, as Adrios studied the man. He wore much lighter armor than he would expect from a soldier, and his boots were very well worn but lovingly cared for. He must be one of the runners then. As if to confirm his theory, the runner saluted him again and strode out the door and was jogging off as the door swung closed. _I wonder what she needs from me._ Adrios stood and looked about the room for a mirror. Seeing none, he sighed to himself and grabbed a bowl. He waved his hand over the bowl and water condensed from the air and filled the bowl halfway. He waved his hand again and the surface took on a mirror-like quality. He inspected how he looked. Considering he hadn’t bathed in several days, he looked fairly well. But perhaps the Sister could wait long enough for him to make himself more presentable. With regret, he remembered that his pack was not with him. He decided to meet with the Sister first and then start looking for his bag. Most people would expect it had been destroyed but of the many charms he had worked on it, increasing its durability had been one. It would take more than a world-shattering explosion to destroy it.

He got up and strode out the cabin. He walked quickly to the Chantry, hoping to avoid the stares and people falling to their knees in front of him. He noticed a large tent in the shadow of the Chantry and saw Leliana’s muted armor and leather hood. He walked over to her and she turned at the sound of his approach. “Thank you for coming Herald,” She said politely. Adrios winced a little.

“Please, call me Adrios,” He said, attempting to smile at her. It wasn’t difficult. She was very beautiful, and she had the energy about her to put people at ease. She smiled back.

“As you wish,” She replied, beckoning him to come into the tent proper. “We are going to be making the announcement in a few hours about the formation of the Inquisition. We would like you to be present. People believe you are the Herald of Andraste, and your presence will be expected by the people of Haven.” Adrios sighed a little to himself.

“I’d be happy to attend,” Adrios smiled. “Would I have enough time to go back to the Temple in the meantime?” Leliana’s facial expression did not change, but he saw a shadow of…something pass across her face.

“You would,” She said, her voice still light and pleasant. “Why would you want to go back up there, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“I was hoping to find some of my possessions in the former encampment my party made,” Adrios replied, scratching the back of his neck absentmindedly. “We were expecting to be back there after nightfall on the day of the Conclave, and I left everything I owned in a small rucksack in the tent I had used.” Leliana looked at him for a long moment.

“Was it a black leather rucksack, about this big?” She made a measurement motion with her hand, and Adrios’ heart leapt.

“Yes! Did you see it?” Adrios had not been looking forward to trudging up the mountainside again. He didn’t mind the outdoors or hiking about, but hiking up the frozen mountain while beset upon by demons was not his idea of a good time. Leliana nodded and motioned to one of the soldiers that was posted outside the tent.

“Please go to the vault and retrieve the black rucksack,” She stated to him and the soldier nodded. He strode off and Leliana looked back to him. “We were investigating this particular one because it was a suspicious item to us. You can tell it has weight to it and that there is something in it. However, when you open the rucksack, there is nothing inside.” Adrios nodded and smiled at her.

“I can explain,” Adrios felt his smile broaden. “It was a creation of mine. I created a pocket of space inside the sack, similar to how spirits create pocket dimensions inside the Fade. Any item stored in the bag goes into that pocket dimension and does not add to the overall weight of the bag. And the person that attuned to the bag—in this case, myself—is the only one able to retrieve anything from the bag. I haven’t performed all the tests I would have liked to on the bag, but I left the tower in Ostwick much faster than I would’ve liked.” Leliana’s face was unreadable, staring at him. At this point, the soldier was back and handed the rucksack to Leliana. She handed it over to Adrios, and he immediately opened the bag. Leliana had moved closer to look inside as well, and as long as Adrios was touching the bag, she could see the inside of the bag was impossibly large. And full of a multitude of items.

“Fascinating,” Leliana said quietly. “Would you be able to replicate that?” Adrios nodded enthusiastically.

“I’d be happy to,” Adrios beamed at her. “But we will need to discuss some terms to that arrangement. If you would excuse me, Leliana, I am very overdue for a good scrub.” Adrios nodded at her, and strode back to the tent. He was thrilled to have his possessions back. And an hour later, he was a great deal cleaner and smelled significantly better. He dressed in a set of black breeches and an emerald green tunic, embroidered with interlocking runic symbols along the hem. It was one of the heavier tunics that he owned, which would save him from having to expend more energy trying to keep his body temperature high in these frozen mountains. He didn’t really have many cloaks with him. He hadn’t been intending to stay in the mountains for long.

He pulled on his usual black boots that rose to his knees and left the tent after donning Lydia’s staff. He was thrilled beyond words at his earlier decision to store it in the rucksack. The pocket dimension had a magic dampening field, so mages could sense that the sack itself was magical but not at its contents. He slung the bag across his shoulders and strode out. The bag had straps that—when donned properly—would hold the bag in place against his right side within easy reach and keeping it out of the way of the sheath across his back. He walked quickly up the slope to the Chantry again, and noticed that there was a crowd gathered around the front of the Chantry. Adrios joined Leliana in front of the crowd, and he noticed that the Commander from earlier was hanging a large sign on the front of the Chantry. There was a very pretty woman dressed in an excessive amount of gold making notes on a clipboard and Cassandra joined them after a few moments.

There was a sense of finality as Cullen hit the hammer one last time against the door of the Chantry and he turned to beckon to the party. Leliana and the woman in gold set off immediately, and Cassandra went to follow them before looking at Adrios inquiringly. Adrios was hesitating to follow them until the Seeker beckoned him. He walked over to join her and they strode into the Chantry in the wake of the others. Adrios glanced down at his hand, the mark flaring briefly and unexpectedly.

“Does it trouble you?” Cassandra said, noticing his inspection of his hand.

“It’s stopped spreading,” Adrios tried to smile at her, but he knew the attempt was feeble. “And it doesn’t hurt any longer.”

“We take our victories when we can,” Her smile was sardonic, as if she knew what he was thinking. “What’s important is that it is stable now. As is the Breach. You have given us time, and Solas believes a second attempt might succeed. Provided the mark has more power.” She looked off into the distance, her pace slowing to a stop. “The same level of power used to open the Breach in the first place. That is not easy to come by.” Adrios couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh, no doubt!” He continued to chuckle. “What harm could there be in powering up something we barely understand?” Cassandra gave a wry laugh.

“Hold onto that sense of humor,” She motioned for him to continue they entered the room at the back of the Chantry. Cullen, Leliana, and the woman in gold were already there and speaking quietly among each other. They stopped talking as they entered the room. Cassandra stopped and took her place at the corner of the table near Adrios. She motioned to Cullen. “You’ve already met Commander Cullen, leader of the Inquisition forces.”

Cullen nodded to him, smiling broadly. “It was only for a moment on the field. I’m pleased you survived.” Adrios felt heat rise in his face as he smiled back. _Woof._

Cassandra indicated the woman in gold. “This is Lady Josephine Montilyet, ambassador and chief diplomat for the Inquisition.” The woman’s heavy black hair was tied back in an elegant fashion and she had deep blue-green eyes that perfectly offset her olive complexion. She curtsied to Adrios.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Herald,” She said formally. Adrios smiled at her but the title Herald still caused a small twinge in the back of his mind.

“And of course, you know Sister Leliana,” Cassandra motioned towards Leliana. Leliana smiled at Adrios, ever the face of charm.

“My position here demands a certain degree of—” Leliana began.

“She is our spymaster,” Cassandra said simply and Adrios snickered a little at the look of irritation that Leliana gave Cassandra.

“Yes,” Leliana grumbled. “Tactfully put, Cassandra.”

Adrios chuckled, looking at all of them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

“I have mentioned that your mark needs more power to close the Breach,” Cassandra continued, as if she hadn’t been interrupted.

“Which means,” Leliana continued smoothly, “we must approach the rebel mages for help.”

“And I still disagree,” Cullen retorted, crossing his arms and looking at Leliana. “The templars could serve just as well.”

Cassandra sighed. “We need power Commander. Enough magic poured into that mark—”

“—might destroy us all,” Cullen interrupted. “Templars could suppress the Breach, weaken it so—"

“Pure speculation,” Leliana interrupted, straightening her posture and clasping her hands behind her back. Cullen seemed affronted at her statement.

“I was a templar,” He replied and Adrios felt a chill run down his spine. _Better to find out now instead of fantasizing about him for months._ “I know what they are capable of.”

“Unfortunately,” Josephine interrupted, dispelling the tension in the room, “neither group will even speak to us as of yet. The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition, and you—” she pointed at Adrios with her quill “—specifically.”

Adrios rolled his eyes. “That didn’t take long.”

“Some are calling you—a mage—the Herald of Andraste,” Josephine continued. “And that frightens the Chantry. The remaining clerics have declared this blasphemy, and we heretics for harboring you.”

“Chancellor Roderick’s doing,” Cassandra growled, “no doubt.”

“It limits our options,” Josephine continued. “Approaching the mages or the templars is currently out of the question.”

“Just how am I the Herald of Andraste?” The question was out of Adrios’ lips before he realized what he was saying, and he flushed slightly as the frustration that was evident in his voice.

“People saw what you did at the temple,” Cassandra said simply, “how you stopped the Breach from growing. And they have also heard about the woman that was seen in the rift when we first found you. They believe that was Andraste.”

“Even if we tried to stop that view from spreading—” Leliana began.

“Which we have not,” Cassandra interrupted.

Leliana glared at Cassandra for a moment before continuing. “The point is, everyone is talking about you.”

Cullen chuckled, drawing Adrios’ gaze. “It’s quite the title isn’t it? How do you feel about it?”

Adrios bit his lip. “It’s…unsettling. I don’t remember what happened, but I don’t feel blessed or chosen. I’m the same as I was.”

“I’m sure the Chantry would say the same,” Cullen’s smile was full of dry humor which made Adrios’ stomach do backflips.

“People are desperate for a sign of hope,” Leliana interrupted Adrios’ foolish thoughts. “For some, you are that sign.”

“And to others, a sign of everything that has gone wrong,” Josephine said, her voice a little sharp.

“Are we in danger of being attacked here?” Adrios was concerned for all the people he had seen gathering around the small settlement. “I wouldn’t want all these people to be at risk.”

“With what armies?” Cullen couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “The Chantry have only words at their disposal.”

“And they may bury us with them,” Josephine’s face was stern and Cullen covered his laugh with a unconvincing cough.

“There is something we can do however,” Leliana interrupted, causing Adrios to look her way. “There is a Chantry cleric by the name of Mother Giselle that has asked to speak to you. She is not far, and she knows those involved far better than I. Her assistance could be invaluable.”

“Why would a Revered Mother help a group of declared heretics?” Adrios raised an eyebrow at Leliana.

“I understand she is a reasonable sort. Perhaps she does not believe what her Sisters are saying?” Leliana shrugged. “You will find her tending to the wounded in the Hinterlands near Redcliffe.”

“While you are there, look for other opportunities to expand the Inquisitions influence,” Cullen urged him.

“We need agents to extend our reach beyond this valley,” Josephine explained, “and you are better suited than anyone to recruit them.”

“In the meantime, let’s think of other options.” Cassandra folded her arms. “I won’t leave this all to the Herald.”

Adrios sighed. “Please call me Adrios. All of you. Not the Herald.” He saw Cullen chuckle and his stomach flopped again.

“As you wish Adrios,” Leliana smirked at him, and he could tell from her expression that she knew exactly what was going through his mind.

Adrios cleared his throat nervously. “Are there any other matters of which I can assist?”

“We were going to address some issues that came to our attention,” Josephine said politely. “You may stay and give your input if you wish? It may help us decide what to do.”

“Certainly, if you think I can help,” Adrios said graciously, giving one of his dazzling smiles. Josephine giggled a little, looking down at the papers on her clipboard.

For the next two hours, they reviewed missives that they had received from both Orlais and Fereldan. A forward scout by the name of Harding had secured a camp in the Hinterlands about a day’s journey on foot away. She reported that the refugees were in danger of being caught in crossfire between apostate mages and rogue templar groups in the area. Her missive had the air of a plea to it while she reported that additional soldiers would be helpful. Cullen agreed to send soldiers off in the morning to try and stabilize the area.

There were a few missives from nobles, most of which were complaints about refugees taking up their lands. Josephine was eager to secure alliances, but when she and Leliana talked about driving the refugees off Adrios interjected. Couldn’t they help the refugees? They would spread news that the Inquisition was helping those in need. Cullen agreed, and offered to send soldiers to help them. Josephine agreed, tapping the point of her quill against her mouth while she tried to think of diplomatic ways to have the nobles think that the Inquisition was helping them by helping the refugees. There was also a small matter from Varric that involved some weird mystery in Kirkwall, which Leliana promised to have her contacts in the Antivan Crows—a vast network of assassins and spies based out of the royal city of Antiva—look into.

By this point, Adrios could hear his stomach rumbling. He realized he had yet to eat today, and Leliana smiled at him. “Why don’t you go and have dinner in the tavern Adrios?” She motioned to the map. “We are just about done here.” Adrios smiled gratefully and bowed to them all before striding out the door.

Leliana turned and smirked to Cullen. “I think you may have an admirer Commander.” Josephine gasped delightfully, and Cullen merely looked confused.

“No!” Josephine said in a stage whisper. “How do you know?”

“I have reports that Adrios spent his time alone and did not allow others to get close to him during his time at the Circle,” Leliana replied, smiling devilishly. “But the way he was looking at the Commander here suggests he is quite smitten.” At this Cullen coughed, his face flushing.

“Come now,” Cullen blustered at an attempt to regain some semblance of normalcy. “Let’s not gossip about someone we know nothing about and allow the man some courtesy.” Josephine and Leliana both giggled, and Cullen and Cassandra both shared groans.

* ~ *

Adrios leaned back in his chair, feeling comfortably full and watching people move about the crowded and noisy tavern. It was hard to believe that the tavern could be this full, but since it was really the only place in the area to get hot food it wasn’t too hard to understand that everyone would come here for their supper. Flissa, the tavern keep and barmaid, was comfortably busy. She was flying from customer to customer, trying to ensure everyone had enough to eat and a full cup whenever they wished.

Adrios was apparently still larger than life to her, as she had squeaked in awe of him when he first arrived and still seemed all atremble whenever he required anything. The other barmaids that had served him had only called him “Herald” once before his legendary charm oozed out to convince them not to call him Herald. After about an hour of sitting here, everyone that encountered him was simply calling him by his name. And that was exactly what he wanted.

And once the shock and awe of his arrival had worn off, people left him alone and went about their own business. Which allowed him to people watch. It had always been one of his favorite activities. Whenever he was allowed to travel into Ostwick on Circle business, he always took some time to visit the markets and watch the people go about their business. He always found it fascinating.

He was watching a few soldiers drink and be rowdy with one another when the chair next to him scraped across the floor as someone sat down. Adrios turned and saw Varric hoping up into the chair besides him. “Looks like you’ve got everyone calmed down Slick,” Varric chuckled, beckoning at one of the barmaids. Adrios grinned at Varric.

“Is that my nickname now?” Adrios chuckled, sipping from his tankard. The selection of liquors here weren’t the best, but the mead he had sampled had been good enough to go with his dinner. “I did read that all of your companions are nicknamed.”

“Most,” Varric smiled back. “Not all of them. Like dear Aveline. Too fiery for a nickname.”

“Well ‘Slick’ is better than Herald,” Adrios grimaced at his plate of mostly-gone food. Varric chuckled.

“What, don’t like being worshipped?” Varric teased. Adrios rolled his eyes.

“Not even a little,” Adrios replied. “I think I need to find something to do this evening. I’ve slept enough.” He looked thoughtfully around. “Is the hospital ward near here?”

“The infirmary was set up in the basement of the Chantry,” Varric took a bite of food from the plate that was deposited in front of him. “The apothecary is up near Solas’ cabin, which is that way.” He pointed up the slope towards a collection of cabins that Adrios had noticed earlier. Adrios nodded thoughtfully.

“Ah,” He remembered suddenly. “Cassandra was talking about us going into the Hinterlands. I’m not sure if we are going tomorrow morning or not, but I will let you know when I find out.” Varric nodded and raised his glass in Adrios’ direction. “Have a good night, ser dwarf.” Varric rolled his eyes and Adrios left, chuckling to himself.

He walked slowly off towards the center of the town. The town was quiet, the only noise coming from the tavern. Except for persistent banging of metal on metal. Adrios got an idea into his head, moving off towards the blacksmith with a renewed sense of vigor. He passed through the large wooden gates and turned left towards where he could see people still scurrying about. He saw a muscled blonde with an impressive mustache finishing up on a sword on an anvil. He noticed their approach and held up a hand as he approached. Adrios waited respectively out of range. He went back to hammering on the sword, before plunging it back into the furnace.

“What can I do for you Herald?” He asked in a neutral tone. Adrios didn’t react, trying to keep from snapping at everyone that called him that.

“I was hoping to request something be made here,” Adrios asked carefully. “Were you the craftsman that made the clothing I woke up in?” He grunted. “It was very well made; I appreciate your doing so.”

“Well…I was glad to help,” The smith replied gruffly. “The name’s Harritt. If you need something made, this is where you come. What can I do for you?”

“I was hoping to have you help create some armor for myself,” Adrios said, walking towards the fence. “I was hoping to create a heavier tunic similar in design to this. Preferably blue. I’d like chainmail to line the clothing, with chainmail breaches and greaves. And if you could create a heavy cloak for me too, preferably with fur along the neck.” Harritt had taken out a pad from an inner pocket and had been scribbling while he talked.

“Any particular type of metal?” Harritt asked, not looking up from his scribbling. Adrios shrugged, and then realized that he couldn’t see.

“No preference," Adrios said thoughtfully. “Preferably a sturdy metal though. Light, obviously, since I’m no warrior.” Harritt nodded, and looked up.

“Come back tomorrow morning,” Harritt said gruffly, walking back towards the forge. Adrios’ eyes widened.

“You don’t have to rush on my behalf Harritt,” Adrios called after his retreating figure. Harritt turned around.

“I’m not hurrying,” Harritt said gruffly, and continued back to the forge. Adrios was a little shocked, but wrote it off. He walked back towards his cabin, one of his books calling his name. Maybe he’d do a little reading before bed.


	4. Healing the Hinterlands, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrios and party travel to the Hinterlands and begin stabilizing the region.

Chapter 4 – Healing the Hinterlands, Part 1

Adrios had never walked so much in his life. It was easy to stand in a room and plan a strategy session that involved “a day’s walk” but it was very different to actually do the walking. Thank the Maker for Harritt completing his new armor so quickly. It was comfortable and quite fetching. Even Josephine had commented that his outfit was very fashionable. The tunic was a heavy cloth, almost as thick as leather, and a deep blue with a runic chain wrapping along the hems. There was a chainmail undershirt that covered him very thoroughly, and wasn’t obscenely heavy. The breeches were of a similar material to his tunic, but the greaves were made of the same metal as the chainmail and went up to his mid-thigh. They seemed very similar to how Leliana’s looked, and Adrios wondered if Harritt had taken ideas from her. And they were the most comfortable footwear he had ever worn. Thankfully, because…so…much…walking.

“Look,” Cassandra spoke up. Cassandra, Solas, Varric, and Adrios had been walking in relative silence for the majority of the day. “The forward camp looks to be ahead. We will need to report in to Scout Harding.” Adrios nodded. He had read the reports that Leliana had provided them before leaving Haven that explained how bad the situation in the Hinterlands were. It had also helpfully listed all of the objectives that the Inquisition would like them to complete before returning to Haven. The report had been four pages long, on both sides of the parchment. In small letters.

“Thank the Maker,” Adrios sighed. “We’ve been walking for hours.” Solas showed one of his rare smiles at Adrios.

“And we will have more walking to go,” He chuckled. “This is just the forward camp. We were following a path the scouts made for us. After this, we are making our own path.” Adrios groaned, but he had been aware of this fact. He also knew that it was imperative that they settle some of the more tense conflicts in the Hinterlands immediately, so the refugees would stop suffering as they had been. The closer he got to their destination, the more eager he got to start working and helping these people.

They reached the camp and a female dwarf stepped forward to greet them. “Wow!” She wrung her hands and grinned at them. “The Herald of Andraste! I’ve heard the stories…everyone has. We know what you did at the Breach. A lot of people here are scared of mages, but you’ll receive no backtalk here—that’s a promise.” She bowed slightly. “Inquisition Scout Harding, at your service. I…well, all of us here will do whatever we can to help.”

“Harding, huh?” Varric spoke up, grinning widely. “Have you ever been to Kirkwall’s Hightown?”

“Uh…can’t say that I have?” Harding was obviously confused. “Why?”

“Because then you’d be…oh, never mind,” Varric said, disappointed. Cassandra groaned, a mixture of irritation and exasperation. Adrios just face-palmed.

“Uh…anyway,” Harding looked back to Adrios.

“I’m starting to worry about all of these stories people have heard of me,” Adrios said dryly, crossing his arms.

“Oh, they’re nothing,” Harding beamed at Adrios. “They just talk about how you’re the last great hope for Thedas.”

Adrios groaned. “Oh. Wonderful,” he replied sarcastically.

“We should get to business,” Harding said, all traces of humor gone in a flash. She looked at Adrios very seriously. “The situation is pretty dire. We came to secure horses from Redcliffe’s old horsemaster. I grew up here, and people always said that Dennett’s herds were the strongest and fastest this side of the Frostbacks. But with the mage-templar fighting getting worse, we couldn’t get to Dennett. Maker only knows if he is even still alive. And Mother Giselle is down at the Crossroads helping the refugees. Our latest reports indicate the war has spread there too. Corporal Vale and our men are doing what they can to help protect the people but…they won’t be able to hold out very long.” She looked up and checked the sky. “Sun is going to set in a few bells—you best get going if you want to secure the Crossroads before dark. No time to lose.”

Adrios looked at his companions, and each of them nodded in agreement. They set off at a brisk pace down a path towards the Crossroads. The forward camp had almost been a hill or two away from the Crossroads, conveniently, and the party could see the campfire smoke from where they were. The party’s pace slowed as they reached wider paths and could see that the village was behind a bend. As they moved around the bend, Adrios caught sight of some of the Inquisition soldiers. They were fighting ferociously, trying to defend refugees that were trying to flee the scene.

“Inquisition forces!” Cassandra shouted, noticing them as well. She ran forward. “Trying to protect the refugees!” Adrios threw up a barrier across the soldiers, and then one across their team. He focused energies in and began calling forth elemental magics. Then, he noticed their enemies. They wore the plate of templars. “Hold!” Cassandra shouted at them. “We are not apostates!”

“I don’t believe they care Seeker!” Solas shouted at her, throwing out his hand and force magic thrust towards the templars. One was knocked off his feet, and another staggered which opened his defenses to allow Cassandra to strike a killing blow. Adrios analyzed the templars, thinking quickly. _I’ve never had to fight a templar before. They have high resistances to magic cast on them, and they can dispel most magics. Think!_ He made a quick decision and with a gesture arrows made of flickering ghostly flame formed in front of him. He saw Solas shoot him an incredulous look, but didn’t spare the energy to consider what that meant. The arrows began to flit off towards the templars, striking through plate and biting deep. The arrows killed two instantly, and wounded one which Varric quickly finished off.

“You can summon Veilfire?” Solas shouted to him, an interested look on his face. “That’s considered a lost art.” Adrios shrugged.

“I discovered how during one of my forays into the Fade,” Adrios shouted back, trying to downplay one of his magical secrets that he had hoarded.

“Enough talk Slick, there are more!” Varric shouted at him, pointing towards the other edge of the village. Mages this time, glee on their faces at being able to move forward into the town unimpeded.

“Hold!” Solas shouted. “We are not templars—we mean you no harm!”

“I don’t think they care Chuckles!” Varric shouted at him, shooting a bolt at one only to have to skitter off their barrier. Adrios grimaced, but threw his arms wide. A glowing white circle appeared in a vast radius around the oncoming mages and he saw their expressions go from glee to horror in a moment. Adrios snapped his fingers and there was an audible noise like the crack of a whip. Tendrils of white-blue energy began to come from the mages, being sucked towards the edge of the circle he had summoned. The mages tried to flee towards the edge of the circle, but the energy coming from their bodies left them incredibly weakened and their movements slowed to a crawl as their mana was being sucked from their body to leave them mana burnt. Their barriers collapsed, and Varric and Cassandra made quick work of them.

“A field to draw out their mana,” Solas’ voice was quiet and Adrios jumped. He had been brooding a little on what he had just had to do. “Very crafty.”

“I didn’t want to place a field to dispel magic,” Adrios replied, squashing his doubts with a firm hand. “That wouldn’t have been able to tell which magics were ours and which were theirs. I knew that field would rapidly weaken them, since they seemed like apprentices and wouldn’t know how to counteract such a spell.” Solas seemed to be appraising him, but Cassandra’s shout dispelled their discussion.

“More templars—from the south!” She charged past them, heading towards the approaching templars. Adrios turned and saw several attempting to flank their group. He made a gesture and a line of frost appeared on the ground. He made another gesture and pillars of ice shot up from the ground, forcing the templars that had been attempting to flank them to go the only other available path—through Cassandra.

Adrios then focused his energies and a large glyph appeared underneath Cassandra. He could feel her apprehension, but he didn’t pause in his casting. The glyph caused tendrils of that same flickering green energy to snake out and catch the approaching templars in their grip. He saw the apprehension turn to appreciation as Cassandra’s job was made significantly easier. He also noticed a few archers trying to line up shots, and a moments concentration created longer and thicker tendrils that shot out like lightning to grab the templar bowmen about the ankles and start dragging them towards the glyph. Varric and Solas made quick work of them, a combination of crossbow bolt and force magic.

There was a tense moment as they all cast their eyes around, looking to see if more enemies were going to push to try and reclaim the village. After several heartbeats passed, Cassandra sheathed her sword. “We are victorious.” She said triumphantly, moving to join Solas, Varric, and Adrios as the Inquisition soldiers regrouped among themselves. A runner split off from their group and ran to inform the scouts at the forward camp, so a message could be sent to Haven. Adrios knew that reinforcements were only a few hours away, since their party had passed the larger force that Haven had sent to stabilize the region on their way here.

“We will remain here until the larger force comes to set up a fortified position,” Adrios told the others. He had noticed during their walk here that Cassandra was deferring to his judgement, which he found a little odd but he wasn’t going to question it. The others nodded. “Cassandra, can you speak with this Corporal Vale and see if there is anything that we can do in the meantime to make these people more comfortable?” Cassandra nodded and strode off. Adrios looked to Solas and Varric. “Stay vigilant in the meantime. I’m going to go speak with Mother Giselle and get _that_ particular headache out of the way.” Varric laughed and Solas merely nodded.

Adrios turned and scanned about the village. On a slightly raised section of the main portion of town, he saw several distinctive white and red Chantry habits. Adrios walked over to that section and he heard some raised voices as he drew near.

“Don’t let them touch me Mother!” An injured Inquisition solder was shouting, holding his hand over a deep wound across his chest. “Their magic—”

“—is turned to noble purpose. Surely their magic is no more evil than your blade,” A deep timbre replied from the cleric kneeling in front of him. The soldier hesitated still, and she chuckled. “Hush, dear boy. Allow them to ease your suffering.” She gently pushed him back down onto the cot he had been lying on. A mage stepping forward, clearly shaken but trying not to show it, and soon the golden aura of healing magic was surrounding the soldier. The cleric turned around and noticed Adrios watching. She was a woman of middle age, the habit covering most of her distinguishing features but the light of her eyes and the set of her weathered features showing great kindness.

“Mother Giselle?” Adrios asked, trying to keep his expression neutral.

“I am,” She replied, standing and brushing the dirt from her knees. “And you must be the one they are calling the Herald of Andraste.” She approached him, and gave him an appraising look.

“You asked for me?” Adrios asked politely, completely ignoring the remark. Mother Giselle gave him a searching glance, but then indicated that they were going to walk away from the infirmary. Adrios fell into step beside her.

“I know of the Chantry’s denouncement,” She said after a moment with no preamble, “and I am familiar with those behind it. I won’t lie to you—some of them are grandstanding, hoping to increase their chances of becoming the new Divine.” Her accent was Orlesian, and very thick. “Some are simply terrified. So many good people, senselessly taken from us.” She turned to look out across the village that until a few minutes ago, had been under siege.

Adrios thought back on Revered Mother Gabrielle and Knight Lieutenant Sarah, the three of them laughing around their campfire. And that had only been two of the people at the massive Conclave that the Divine had called. Adrios blinked the image away, reigning his composure in. “What happened was terrible,” He said finally, causing Mother Giselle to look back towards him.

“Fear makes us desperate,” She folded her hands in front of herself. “But hopefully amenable to reason. Go to them. Convince the remaining clerics that you are no demon to be feared. They have heard only frightened tales of you. Give them something else to believe.”

_She is a very powerful speaker._ Adrios thought. Doubts were still present in his mind, however. “That won’t just make it worse?”

“Because you are a mage?” Mother Giselle gave him a questioning look and a wry smile.

“That too,” Adrios gave her a smile back.

“Let me put it this way. You needn’t convince them all. You just need some of them to…doubt. Their power is their unified voice. Take that from them, and you have the time you need.” Adrios understood what she was saying. She was explaining how they could effectively disrupt the only real power arrayed against the Inquisition, and give them the time they need to build up power unimpeded. By the time the Chantry was in a position to oppose them again, they wouldn’t be the simple organization that could fall at the words of a few people. No matter how much influence they may have.

“It’s good of you to do this,” Adrios said finally, knowing that Mother Giselle was risking a lot by helping them.

“I honestly don’t know if you’ve been touched by fate,” Mother Giselle continued, scrutinizing Adrios closely, “or sent to us to help. But…I hope. Hope is what we need now. The people will listen to your rallying call, as they would no other. You could build the Inquisition into a force that could deliver us. Or…destroy us.” She paused, staring intently at Adrios. He didn’t respond or react, and just gave her a neutral gaze back. “I will accompany you to Haven and inform Leliana of those that would be amenable to a gathering. It is not much, but I will do all that I can.” She walked back over to the infirmary and to continue helping the injured. Adrios remained where she had left him, lost in thought for a few moments. Then he noticed that Cassandra was striding back over to rejoin Solas and Varric where they stood watching the village. Adrios leapt lightly down off the ledge where he was and walked over to join them. He was inspecting his gauntlets as he walked, since Harritt had included gauntlets with metal on the back of the hands and fingers, with the finger pieces ending in sharp points. The palm side of the gauntlets were a very strange material, breathable but still retaining body heat to keep his palms the perfect temperature without interfering with his magic.

Once Adrios had joined them, Cassandra unfurled a map that had points of interest marked. “He had quite the list of things that these refugees needed. A hunter is attempting to feed all of these refugees, but he is only one person. We could hunt and bring in more food for the refugees. There are also some caches near here— “she pointed at some marks on the map “—that apostates have set aside for their own purposes that include warm clothes and blankets. Without these, refugees will succumb to frostbite within these next couple nights. They’ve had complaints of some bandits that took up position in a villa here—” she pointed “—and have camps in these locations.” She pointed to several more locations. “One is right outside this village, near some caves. They also have a lot of wounded from all of these raids by the rebel templars and mages, and have been trying to find a healer to set up camp here permanently. They had one in this village originally, but she fled from the fighting.” Cassandra sighed heavily. “And they have had no response from their attempts to meet with Master Dennett. And there are obviously the matters of the rebel templar and mage encampments that we can address to stabilize the region, and the rifts that have opened.”

Adrios gave her a wry smile. “Certainly not starting off small, are we?” He looked at Solas and Varric briefly, before leaning back against the rock wall lining the road that cut through the town. “How is everyone feeling? We didn’t have much fighting on the way here, but we did do quite a bit of walking. I don’t need as much rest, but—”

“Why is that?” Cassandra asked curiously. Adrios’ face flushed.

“Um,” Adrios rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Well, you’ve probably noticed that I am kind of a jack-of-all-trades with magic. Of the talents I have, one of them is the spirit healer ambient aura. I need about half of the sleep of a normal person, and my mana levels recover faster than other mages. Being near me will rejuvenate you faster too. If we make camp and you set your tent within fifteen feet of me, you will need about three-quarters the sleep you normally do to recover. It works better if you are within five feet, but that’s obviously not going to happen. You haven’t noticed your stamina lasting longer in battle?” Adrios looked at the three of them curiously.

“That explains it,” Solas nodded slowly. “I figured it had been an aura spell you were maintaining, and I was wondering how you had not used all of your mana. The passive ambient ability…very surprising.” Cassandra seemed surprised.

“I had not noticed, but now that you mention it, that does indeed make sense,” Cassandra nodded. “Well, to address your question, I personally am feeling fine.” Varric made a noise of agreement, and Solas crossed his arms and looked expectant.

“Well, I was thinking that perhaps we should divide and conquer some of these tasks,” Adrios said, stopping himself from scratching his chin absentmindedly. With these claws on his gauntlets, he might’ve ripped off his face. “Cassandra and Solas, would you mind going to get these drop locations of warm clothing? See if Corporal Vale can spare any soldiers to go with you since he is getting reinforcements.” Soldiers were starting to enter the village from the main force they had passed. “Especially since night is falling and those caches are not that close to the Crossroads. Mark down any rifts you pass by, but avoid them the best you can. We can head out tomorrow to close them.” The two of them nodded and began to leave. “Oh! Mark down where you believe some forward camps would be beneficial, and we can give the locations to Corporal Vale.” Cassandra nodded and the two of them set off towards the south. Adrios turned to look at Varric.

“What’re you planning for us to do Slick?” Varric straightened his cuffs.

“I figured you and I could go hunting,” Adrios grinned widely. “Try and get some rams or deer.” Varric sighed.

“I’m not much of a hunter,” Varric sighed dramatically.

“Oh, you’d prefer to go with the Seeker?” Adrios laughed at this. Varric couldn’t seem to help himself but get under Cassandra’s skin. But he was not wholly innocent—any comment that Cassandra made to try and lessen the animosity between them was met with venomous responses by Varric. Varric scowled at him. “Come now Ser Tethras.” Adrios teased him. “We are all working together. You should try to keep things friendly.”

“She kidnapped me and stabbed me in the book!” Varric said indignantly. “Why should I be nice?”

“Because she didn’t actually torture you?” Adrios stuck his tongue out at Varric, still laughing. “I don’t know Varric, I’m just trying to keep the peace here.” Varric shrugged and they set off out of camp together.

“Shouldn’t we get some soldiers to carry the meat back?” Varric looked questioningly at Adrios as they passed the small table that Corporal Vale was working behind.

“Nah,” Adrios waved a hand dismissively. “We got this.” They walked in silence for a little bit, and Adrios was casting eyes about. He pointed. “This way. We need to go off the beaten trail a bit.” He led the way, concentrating a bit to emit an aura for the nature barring their way to bend out of their way. He could feel Varric’s disbelief at his back, and spoke up to head off questions. “So. I’ve read The Tale of the Champion too.” Varric did not respond to him. “Did you exaggerate much during the telling of that?”

“No,” Varric replied. His voice was not curt, but it didn’t open the floor for conversation either.

“I’m sorry that all happened then,” Adrios’ voice was soft. “It’s hard to see your home descend into chaos. The Ostwick Circle was attacked by a mob and my mentor sacrificed herself to stop blood mages.” Varric’s expression was unreadable and Adrios conjured some Veilfire arrows. He made a gesture and they streaked off. There was a high-pitched noise from a deer as it was killed, and seconds later the noise was repeated by another deer. Varric’s eyebrows raised at Adrios, who gave him a lopsided grin. “So, I may have just wanted some company.” Adrios winked at Varric, who burst into laughter.

After a couple bells had passed, they ended up with about ten deer and five rams. A gesture from Adrios and they lifted into the air about a foot off the ground and Adrios led the way back to camp. The magic to keep them suspended was draining him rapidly, considering their weight, and he moved quickly before the spell expended all of his mana. Varric was jogging to keep up with him, bringing up the rear. The reaction when they entered the Crossroads was fairly comical, with soldiers running over to them and then freezing as a parade of dead deer and rams floated by them. Adrios headed right over to where the hunter was standing, fletching some arrows. The hunter just stood and stared wide-eyed at Adrios. With a gesture, Adrios let the bodies hit the floor with a gentle thud.

“I heard that the refugees were hungry?” Adrios said smoothly, smiling a little.

“Uh…” The hunter seemed lost for words.

“The bodies were killed cleanly within the past two hours,” Adrios continued. “This should keep everyone fed for a little while.” The hunter just stared at him, his jaw slack. Adrios suppressed a smile at the look on his face and turned to leave.

“Wait! Herald!” The hunter seemed to have gotten over his shock, and leapt forward as Adrios turned to leave. “I should thank you for your help. No one else was really helping, and I just wasn’t expecting…” He seemed at a loss of how to describe it.

“A parade of dead bodies?” Adrios asked helpfully, unable to stop the grin on his face. Varric laughed behind him, and the hunter smiled ruefully.

“Yes,” He held out his hand, and Adrios shook it firmly. “I appreciate what the Inquisition has done here.” Adrios inclined his head to the man and he strode back towards the center of the village with Varric.

“I gotta say Slick,” Varric said, smirking at him. “You definitely have a way with words. And I barely even helped with those rams.”

“Hey!” Adrios protested. “You got the one that started to run away.” Adrios winked at Varric. “And you provided moral support. It helps to have a sexy man entertain you.” Varric roared with laughter as they approached the infirmary.

“Herald!” A runner approached them. Adrios turned to face her. He was getting a lot better at handling the whole ‘Herald’ thing with poise.

“Yes?” Adrios asked politely. The runner seemed a lot less hesitant than any of the others he had met thus far.

“Corporal Vale set up a couple tents for you and your party by the tunnel leading out of town,” She replied. “And soldiers that had accompanied Lady Cassandra have been slowly returning with crates of blankets. Corporal Vale would like to extend his appreciation in your personal intervention.” Adrios smiled at the runner.

“Tell the Corporal that we can have drinks later and to just call me Adrios,” Adrios laughed. “That goes for all of you. But I am going to the infirmary to tend to some of the wounded for the time being.” The runner nodded and ran off. He turned to Varric. “You’re welcome to relax Varric. I would imagine Cassandra and Solas will be back soon. Then we can rest for the night, and start fresh in the morning.” Adrios looked up to the darkening sky. “We only have about an hour or so of daylight left, if I had to guess.” Varric nodded and headed off towards where the camp was.

Adrios went over to the infirmary, and once he had explained his intention, he was given no shortage of work. He didn’t have any refusing his aid however, once the word got around that he was the Herald. He got through the six life-or-death injuries that the infirmary had, and about ten of the minor cases before he decided to retire.

And true to his word, he sat in the camp with the soldiers and Corporal Vale to have his dinner and drink with the soldiers. Most of the soldiers were a little uncomfortable until he started making jokes that he had heard in the tavern of Ostwick during his time healing refugees. Once everyone had heard “the Divine, the Arishok, and King Alistair walk into a bar” there was no one left that felt uncomfortable. Adrios hoped that this would spread through the ranks, and people wouldn’t feel intimidated by his presence.

Cassandra had retired for the evening, not laughing at his jokes but appreciating the sentiment of why he was making them. Varric, who had laughed at all of his jokes and told a handful of his own, was playing Wicked Grace with a circle of soldiers. Solas was reading a book and leaning against the tent he was using. Adrios bid them all goodnight and went into his tent. The healing he had performed had done him in quickly.

Adrios rose at the fourth bell, having spent most of the evening reading in his tent and not falling asleep until the eleventh bell. He left the tent and walked back over to the infirmary. He worked on the remaining injured and once everyone was gone, he began working on mixing potions and poultices. At around the seventh bell, the Chantry sisters stopped him to ask where the wounded had gone. Once he had explained what he had done, they blessed him and began storing the potions and poultices he was making. When the eighth bell rang, he bid the sisters goodbye and walked over to the camp. Solas was awake and reading again, and Varric and Cassandra were eating in silence. The air between them wasn’t overly-hostile, and Adrios took that as a blessing.

“Everyone ready?” Adrios said brightly. Cassandra held out the map she had taken with her yesterday to get the caches, and Adrios examined it. She had made marks were rifts were located, and there were two marks that would be good strategic spots.

“We noticed a…well, a cult of sorts down there as well,” Cassandra said as she finished eating. “They were holed up in an old castle ruin.” Adrios rolled his eyes.

“The end of the world makes people do strange things,” Adrios shook his head. “Well, let’s work on our original itinerary. We will close rifts on our way to Master Dennett’s farms and secure horses for the Inquisition. While he is getting the herd together, we will deal with the templar and mage camps to disrupt their leadership. Then we will escort the first delivery of the herds and Mother Giselle back to Haven.”

“Before we set out Adrios,” Solas said quietly. He had stood and joined the small circle near their tent. “Last night before going to bed, I explored the area of the Fade around the Crossroads. I discovered an ancient elvhen device nearby, and it should serve to strengthen the Veil here. If we can devote some time to locating that device, it should lessen the chances of rifts appearing again.” Adrios nodded thoughtfully.

“Sounds worthwhile,” Adrios said. He glanced at Cassandra and Varric, both of whom had stood up. They walked over to Corporal Vale, who seemed to be nursing a bit of a hangover, and gave him the directions for the forward camps. He agreed to have soldiers set up forward camps in those locations in a bleary sort of way, and Adrios resisted the urge to laugh at him. Instead, he handed Vale a small blue vial that he dug out of his bag. At Vales’ questioning look, he said, “It’s a remedy I created for hangovers. Drink it all, and follow it with two mugs of water. You’ll be fine in about five minutes.” Corporal Vale looked at the vial like it was a treasure, which Adrios did finally laugh at. They left the Crossroads, Solas leading the way. They did discover a bandit camp right outside of the cave that Solas indicated the device was in. They made short work of the bandits, but they were far better equipped than simple bandits should have been in this area.

Adrios made another mark on his map, seeing a good location for a camp in this area, and then they moved towards the cave. As they got closer, Adrios could taste magic in the air and he heard the crack of thunder. He jogged towards the sight, and heard the others follow suit. He got to the entrance of the cave in time to see an elven woman strike down a shade. She was leaning heavily on her staff, and her robes were very worn. She turned, raising her hand to cast magic. Adrios raised both of his hands.

“Peace,” Adrios said calmly. She lowered her hand, and looked cautiously at them.

“I am no danger to you,” The woman said calmly. “My name is Mihris. By your weapons, I see you come ready for battle. Perhaps we face a common enemy in these demons?”

“What brings you here?” Adrios looked at her curiously.

“I was sent here to explore the Breach and these rifts in service of my clan,” She said. “I came here looking for an elven artifact that could strengthen the Veil. Would you be able to assist me?”

“That was what we were here to do,” Adrios gestured towards Solas, smiling. “Right?”

“Ma harel, da’len,” Solas said coolly to Mihris. Adrios frowned at him. He had studied the elven language as best he could, but he didn’t know what that phrase meant. Mihris seemed to pale a little under his gaze, but neither of them said anything further.

“Uh…” Adrios broke the uncomfortable silence. “So, I’m guessing it’s farther in?” He turned and continued walking into the cave. They only got about twenty feet into the cave before their way was blocked with a series of toppled pillars.

“The flat-ear can clear the way,” Mihris said, an edge to her voice. Adrios frowned at her.

“Solas is not the only mage here,” He said flatly to her, and gestured. The pillars trembled and then lifted aside, forming back into their original pillars leading further into the cave. Adrios continued leading the way into the cave. The light was growing fainter and fainter as they walked into the cave. He paused as a glimmer of green caught his eye. He turned to face it, and saw a sigil marked faintly onto the cave wall. He got closer to it, allowing his eyes to adjust. It was a sigil he remembered from his time in the Fade. He made a gesture and held up an open palm. Green flame flickered into being on his palm.

“What is this strange fire you create?” Cassandra asked hesitantly.

“It’s Veilfire,” Solas replied before Adrios could say anything. “It’s a memory of flame. It’s a forgotten art, and it typically only burns in areas where the Veil is thin. Adrios is the only one I’ve met that can summon it at will.”

“This sigil means that there is something that Veilfire will reveal,” Adrios indicated the sigil on the wall that as now glowing brightly in the flickering light. “Let’s continue, shall we?” He led the way with his hand held high, the green flames illuminating the way. They continued into a wider area of the cave. There were shades and wraiths roaming this section of the cave, and they all sprang into action. Between the five of them, the shades and wraiths had no chance. They continued into the cave and found a strange orb on a pedestal.

“This is it Adrios,” Solas said quietly. Adrios approached it, and examined it. It almost looked like a globe, but it was made out of stone. Adrios touched the globe lightly, and felt a spark of mana leave him. The globe sparked into life and a vivid green light surrounded the globe. He felt a rush of magic surge into the air around him. “There. This should serve to strengthen the Veil.”

“Thank you for your assistance stranger,” Mihris said, examining the device closely. “I could not have handled this myself.”

“Dareth shiral,” Adrios said to her, making her eyebrows raise. Solas cleared his throat.

“Ir abelas, ma vhenan,” Solas said, looking at Mihris with an unreadable expression. Mihris looked down, and said nothing. Adrios strode away, Cassandra and Varric following after a moment’s hesitation. Solas followed shortly after, not looking at Mihris.

“What did you say Slick?” Varric asked once they had moved a fair distance away.

“I wished her good fortune,” Adrios said, carefully looking forward. “And Solas apologized for her loss.” He didn’t have to look to see Solas’ shock before his expression was masked again, or Varric’s confusion. “She lied to us. And I have studied many things, Solas.”

The party was silent on their way out of the dungeon, and continued on their way back to the Crossroads. They moved quickly through the Crossroads, eager to be on their way. They left through the northern tunnel exits. Adrios disliked how open and vulnerable the Crossroads were. It was not a good place as a center of operations for the Inquisition.

“There are rogue templars roaming these plains,” Solas said, breaking the silence.

“And rebel mages,” Cassandra added, and Adrios could tell she was trying to not let her voice have an edge.

“We clear a path,” Adrios responded calmly. “Our first priority is finding the horsemaster. I assume it will take time for him to gather horses for us, and we can work on removing the templar and mage rebels while we wait. We will give deserters the opportunity to join us,” he added, looking sideways at Cassandra, “albeit with a probational period.” There were no objections, so they continued. They made quick work of any rebel forces they encountered on the way, quickly moving through the wide-open fields directly north of the Crossroads. Adrios noticed a ruined keep, with the front doors broken down and one side of the castle literally knocked down.

“What is it Adrios?” Cassandra stopped, looking around warily for enemies. True to the agreement, rebels they had approached had been given the chance to surrender. None had thus far.

“Do you know anything about this keep?” Adrios asked quietly, looking at the ruins. They were still very impressive, even in the extensive disrepair they were currently in.

“I do not,” Cassandra shook her head. “Why?”

“Let’s investigate,” Adrios said evasively, walking forward. He walked into the small courtyard, stepping carefully around the ruined doors. He could sense corruption, which wasn’t surprising. He knew that the final battles of the Fifth Blight had occurred in Redcliff and the Fereldan capital city of Denerim. It would therefore be a logical conclusion to assume that corruption would still be present from darkspawn ravaging the countryside, even ten years later. The taint that darkspawn carry with them is extremely persistent—Adrios has read all available research that the Grey Wardens have provided on the subject. The party walked up the steps into the main keep, and Adrios instantly held up a hand. The party slipped against the walls quietly, the inside of the keep deep in shadows. There was an eerie red glow…

“Red lyrium,” Varric hissed. He made to move forward, and Adrios gripped his shoulder tight enough for it to hurt. He whipped his head around, glaring at Adrios. Adrios was shocked by the hatred in his face, but he knew how red lyrium had destroyed Kirkwall—Varric’s home—from the inside out. Knight Commander Meredith becoming so corrupted that she turned against all who stood against her, eventually becoming so corrupted that she became pure red lyrium. First Enchanter Belle had discussed Grand Enchanter Fiona’s attempts to persuade the leaders of Kirkwall to allow them to investigate Meredith’s remains to try and understand what had happened more clearly. However, after Kirkwall’s chantry being blown up by the terrorist mage Anders, the leaders were understandably…reluctant to allow more mages into the city.

“Contain yourself Master Tethras,” Adrios smiled at Varric, not letting the rage in Varric’s eyes bother him. “Watch.” Adrios edged along the wall, moving up closer to the ominous red glow. There was a figure there, glowing almost as brightly red as the chunk of red lyrium by the wall. Adrios was extremely curious about red lyrium, but it was far too dangerous to investigate in the wild. He raised his right hand and made an almost gentle movement. Red lyrium may be an unknown force, but he knew one thing about lyrium.

It was extremely flammable.

Ghostly green fire formed around the ground, surrounding the figure and the large chunk of red lyrium. He heard a grunt that seemed like curiosity, and the figure shambled towards the fire. The figure got close enough to the flames that Adrios could tell the figure wore templar plate. But there were…red lyrium shards in the figure’s skin?

The fire licked up the templars body like he was kindling. The grunts of curiosity became shrieks of an animal, and another gesture caused the flame to spread over to the larger chunk of red lyrium. The fire spread incredibly fast, and within moments the shrieks had ended, replaced by only the sounds of the flames dying out just as quickly as they had started. Adrios moved forward, staring at the charred spot on the ground. “That was…a templar.” Adrios said, as the rest of the party moved up to join him. “But he was covered in red lyrium.” Cassandra froze, staring at Adrios.

“What?” She asked sharply.

“He wore templar plate,” Adrios replied calmly, frowning.

“Great,” Varric rubbed his temples. “Just when I thought this shit couldn’t get weirder.”

“Well, at any rate,” Adrios looked around. “I don’t see any features explaining what this keep is, or what it was called. But I am going to ask Josephine to petition the King to allow us to restore this keep to use as our base of operations until the situation in this area gets under control. When they no longer need us, they can have the keep back. But I hate the thought of our people being in such an exposed location. The Crossroads has no defensible locations.” Cassandra nodded slowly.

“Good idea Adrios,” She agreed, crossing her arms and looking around. The inner keep was in very good condition. “We should also spread the word that red lyrium must be destroyed on sight, and that it burns like dry straw.” Adrios laughed, and could’ve sworn that Cassandra’s lips twitched as well. But maybe it was the low light playing tricks on his eyes.

“Onwards!” Adrios pointed at the door dramatically, and Varric laughed. Adrios was glad of it, his expression was very sour even after the red lyrium had all burned away. Adrios made a personal promise to himself to destroy as much of the stuff as he could.

They strode out of the keep, Adrios conjuring water as they went to put out fires that had been set in the courtyard during the fighting. They continued on their way to the north, avoiding the templars and mages roaming around in the fields. They managed to get all the way through the sparse forest leading to the edges of farmlands.

“There are Master Dennett’s fields,” Cassandra said, much louder that Adrios would have liked. He resisted the urge to shush her. They were attempting to be stealthy, after all.

“I would imagine that he would be in the large farmhouse at the top of the hill?” Adrios asked dryly, pointing at the very large farmhouse. They continued on their way down the slope, and Adrios felt a very strange sensation. It was almost like a plucking sensation at the edge of his mind, like a string on a harp. He glanced at Solas.

“You felt it as well?” Solas looked very pleased. “That is how you can tell that one of the elven devices is near, now that you have touched one. The closer you get to it, the more frequent the feeling will occur.” Adrios nodded and cast his eyes around looking for a place such an artifact may have been hidden. He noticed a nearby cabin as the only building nearby, and walked slowly towards it. It was raised off the ground about a foot or two, and he could see a green sparkle underneath. He crouched and held out a hand towards the artifact, and extended his energy far enough magically to activate the device. There was another rush of energy as the Veil was strengthened, and Adrios straightened with a smile. He brushed the dirt off his armor, and they walked towards Dennett’s settlement. Adrios took note of a small clearing by a shallow pond, mentally marking the spot as a potentially spot for a forward base.

They moved forward along the fields, quiet and deserted. Adrios felt his brow furrowing. _Where are the farmers? The animals?_ They saw several barns on the way up to the large farmhouse, passing one that looked like storage and one that had farm equipment. Down the hill, he could see a large open barn with what looked like all of the farm animals crowded inside. This barn was surrounded with a very high and thick fence, which Adrios hadn’t seen in any of the other fields. Adrios felt his lips twist into a frown as they continued up the slope, and reached the front door. He knocked on the door and stepped back. After a few moments, the door creaked open and a tall man opened the door. He had very dark, weathered skin with an impressive white mustache.

“What do you want?” He grumbled.

“We are the agents of the Inquisition, here searching for Master Dennett,” Adrios spoke up, speaking with courtesy despite the gruff greeting. He bowed at the waist respectfully.

“So, you’re the Inquisition, eh?” He swept his hand, indicating they should enter. They all filed in, and the man took a seat at the large table in the house. They all sat down as well, Adrios sitting directly opposite. “Hear you’re trying to bring order back. It’s high time someone did.” The man crossed his arms, staring at them all crossly. “Name’s Dennett. I served Arl Eamon for thirty years as horsemaster. I hear your Inquisition is looking for mounts.”

“That’s right,” Adrios replied, pressing his fingers together in front of him and leaning forward towards Dennett. “Can you help us?”

“Not at the moment,” Dennett frowned at them. “I can’t just send a hundred of the finest horses in Fereldan down the road like you’d send a letter. Every bandit between here and Haven would be on the like flies on crap. You’ll have mounts once I know they won’t end up as a cold winter’s breakfast.” Adrios nodded, glancing for a moment at Cassandra. She wasn’t looking at him, instead looking out the window with a bored expression on her face.

“That sounds more than reasonable,” Adrios agreed, his face growing serious. “What can we do to help speed the process up?” Dennett nodded.

“My wife Elaina manages the farms, and Brom’s in charge of my guards. Speak with them and see what they need,” Dennett stood up, and the rest of the party followed suit. “Until then, your party deserves something better than whatever knock-kneed plow nags they gave you.”

“Uh…” Adrios laughed nervously. “They couldn’t spare horses for us.” Dennett grumbled, and led the way out the door. He stopped overlooking the open barns, pointing towards a small collection of chestnut colored horses.

“Those are purebred Fereldan forders. Take care of them, and they’ll take care of you Inquisition,” Dennett said and met Adrios’ eyes. They both nodded to each other. Dennett went back inside the house, and Adrios looked at the party.

“Shall we divide and conquer again?” Adrios smiled at them. “Cassandra, you and I will go speak with his guard, Brom. Solas and Varric, you go speak with Elaina and see what is up with the farms. Meet down by the horses when we discover what is wrong, okay?” Everyone nodded, and Cassandra followed him down towards the barn with farm equipment. A young man was taking stock of the inventory. “Are you Brom?” Adrios asked, approaching him.

“Aye,” Brom turned to face them, a thick clipboard in front of him. “The master doesn’t want me hanging those refuges weapons until they’ve got any hope of defending themselves. I’ve got a few ideas.” Adrios sighed to himself, but straightened his posture.

“Let’s hear it,” He motioned for Bron to continue. Bron gave Adrios one of the papers off his clipboard.

“I’ve marked down some good spots on this map where watchtowers could be constructed,” Bron explained. “The refugees would be able to defend themselves if they can see danger coming. If the Inquisition can construct the towers, we would all be much safer.” Adrios looked at Cassandra.

“It could be done,” Cassandra answered the unspoken question in Adrios’ eyes. “We would need to speak with Corporal Vale, but we are overdue to check in for several issues. Let’s see what is needed for the farms, and go back to the Crossroads.” Adrios nodded. The two of them strode out of the barn and down the slope towards the horses. Adrios grabbed an apple from a barrel as he passed it, and fed it to one of the horses. He stroked its neck, and watched as Cassandra drew a book from her pack and sat on a stool to read. She was always extremely careful to cover the book so no one could see it, and Adrios resisted the urge to pry.

“Seeker!” Adrios raised his voice. She was only about fifteen feet away, but he wanted to make sure she could hear him over the barn animals. She looked up at him. “Might we talk while we wait?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Why?” She asked suspiciously.

“Because I don’t know very much about you, and I’d prefer our relationship be less…” Adrios trailed off, searching for a polite way to phrase it.

“Antagonistic?” She supplied, her lips twisting into a faint wry smile. Adrios laughed.

“Exactly.”

She sighed and stood up from the stool, stowing the book away. “Very well. My full name is Cassandra Pentaghast, daughter of the royal house of Nevarra, seventy-eighth in line for the Neverran throne. I joined the Seekers of Truth as a young woman, and was with the Order until the withdrew from the Chantry. I remained as the Divine’s Right Hand, carrying out her order to form the Inquisition—and here we are.” She spread her arms wide, and the sight was marred slightly with the horse behind her defecating. “That’s all there is to know, Herald.” Adrios was shocked, to put it lightly. He didn’t even know where to begin.

“Hold on,” He leaned back against the wall, rubbing his forehead with his left hand. “You’re Neverran _royalty_?”

She sighed. “The Pentaghast’s are a very large family. Half of Cumberland could say the same.”

“Really?”

“No,” Cassandra sighed again. “But it feels that way. I have hundreds of relatives so distant; they need charts to prove we are related at all. But they have them. Oh yes. The Pentaghast’s value their precious blood like it runs with gold.”

“So, you joined the Seekers to get away from that?”

“It was a life worth getting away from,” Cassandra cast her eyes to the heavens, and Adrios knew she wasn’t admiring the scenery. “The Pentaghast’s are famed for dragon hunting, but few actually pursue the craft. Most are fat and lazy. They pay lip service to the Maker, and care only for idle pleasures and past glories. My brother was all that kept me in Nevarra, and once he was gone…so was I.” She got a very hard look on her face following those words, and Adrios knew that the topic would be off-limits. Some wounds are just too painful to examine.

“You don’t seem to like your homeland very much,” Adrios commented, changing the subject and watching Cassandra’s face lose some of the hardened aspect.

“My family polluted it for me,” Cassandra replied after a moment. “What little I saw of my homeland was through the bars of a gilded cage. My uncle treated me like a porcelain doll to be placed on a shelf, and only dusted when necessary. Thus, I did not see Nevarra—the true Nevarra—until much later. By then, I realized I knew it not at all.”

“Wait. Your uncle? What happened to your parents?”

Cassandra’s frown deepened. “They had the misfortune of taking the wrong side in the second attempt to overthrow King Markus. The King executed them, but spared my brother and I since we were family and children at the time. Thus, we were raised by my uncle. A Mortalitasi who preferred the company of his corpses to the living.” At this, Adrios’ nose wrinkled in distaste.

“A Mortalitasi? How…unique.”

“Not in Nevarra,” Cassandra shook her head. “Nevarran’s are obsessed with preparing for their death and afterlife. Almost to the point of neglecting those still alive. But I’m surprised you have heard of Mortalitasi in Ostwick?”

“I have studied a vast number of things in my time,” Adrios replied. “I may not agree with such things, but it is interesting to read about.” Cassandra made a noncommittal grunt.

“So, you worked for Divine Justinia and Divine Beatrix as the Right Hand, yes? Aren’t Knights-Divine typically given that title?” Adrios changed the subject again, this time to spare his own mind. He did not fear corpses, but bringing spirits across the Veil to inhabit corpses intentionally but only leaving them to wander around their mausoleum’s…it was an unpleasant thought.

“Yes,” Cassandra replied. “The circumstances of my appointment were…unusual.”

“Unusual how?” Adrios asked curiously. “Wait…are you talking about The Day of Black Skies?” He saw Cassandra grimace at the title, and Adrios couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve read the legends written about it, but I also had a chance to hear first-hand testimony from one of the involved mages. I know the truth. You uncovered an assassination attempt on the Divine, and went to warn her. During your attempt to warn her, blood mages used mind control abilities to send a high dragon against you. You defended the Divine until mages could break the mind control, and the dragon fled. Yes?”

“Yes,” Cassandra seemed relieved that he knew the truth of it. “People blow the entire story out of proportion. I do not even recognize myself in it anymore.”

“That’s what happens with stories that become legends,” Adrios replied cheekily, and Cassandra scowled at him.

“Hey, I thought I was the only one that she gave that look to!” Adrios turned to see Varric and Solas approaching, Varric’s face the picture of sorrow. “I’m so hurt Seeker, I thought what we had was special.” Cassandra snorted loudly, and turned away from him. Adrios suppressed his laughter as best he could.

“What did you two find out?” He asked, coughing to hide the giggles.

“The Master’s wife is concerned that wolves have been possessed by a demon,” Solas replied, his face thoughtful. “These wolves come after anything that go near them. They do not flee from overwhelming odds, like other wolves do. She told us where we could find their den, and once these wolves are dealt with farmers can return to their fields on concentrate on feeding the people of Redcliffe and the Hinterlands.”

Adrios scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Well, Bron needs us to construct watchtowers. So why don’t we go back to the Crossroads on these horses in the meantime? We can speak to Corporal Vale about these watchtowers and see about repairing that keep. And deal with the wolves and the rebels while we wait for the watchtowers to be constructed.” The party nodded, and mounted up. Varric didn’t even hesitate mounting his horse. “Well I’ll be Varric,” Adrios added silkily. “You didn’t struggle at all. It’s almost like you’re used to mounting things bigger than you are.”

Varric stared at him in shock for a moment, before bursting into laughter. Cassandra and Solas shared a look of mutual suffering, and the party headed out.

* ~ *

_There is definitely something to be said about a group with a purpose._ Adrios thought to himself. They were on Day Four of their time in the Hinterlands. The second day had been their introduction to Master Dennett, and it had only taken one day for the watchtowers to be put up. Corporal Vale had agreed to his plan of a more fortified base of operations with great enthusiasm, but had been very wary of angering Josephine. It had taken Adrios an hour to convince the Corporal that Adrios himself would take any blame for not waiting for a response from the raven they had sent Haven with their plans for the fort.

They had learned that day that the fort in question was called Fort Connor, and a squadron of soldiers had marched through the keep to ensure it was completely empty of enemies. The inside of the keep was in excellent condition, and Adrios had discovered early on in their investigation of the fort that Corporal Vale had intended to give him a room of luxury deep in the bowels of the keep. Adrios had shot that idea down fervently, insisting on a very small room just off the main entrance. Cassandra had seemed very unhappy at his choice as well, until Adrios had performed several spells to make the room difficult to notice unless you were searching specifically for it. He had also added about seven different warding spells. At the fourth ward, Cassandra had showed her satisfaction but Adrios wanted to be absolutely sure that he was safe in this location.

He now stood in this room. It was essentially just large enough for a relatively small bed and a desk. One of the walls was taken up with a blown-up map of the Hinterlands, and he was examining this now. All of the sites that he had given to Corporal Vale for forward camps had been manned, and he knew that they needed to move today to take down the mage and templar settlements. Currently, they couldn’t leave the Crossroads without several squadrons of their soldiers in case of a raid. But they didn’t have enough men to properly guard this fort, and the Crossroads. So, their squadrons located in the Hinterlands spent their days performing sweeps of the area, circling the Crossroads and the Keep in search of trouble. But he knew that it couldn’t be done forever, even if the fortifications to Fort Connor would only take a few more days.

He was very surprised at the efficiency of their workers.

He knew from their reconnaissance during their hunt of the wolves yesterday about where the two camps were located. They just had to go investigate, and take them down. He had been very shocked to see that the pack of wolves had been controlled by a terror demon. It would’ve been a fascinating research opportunity, if lives weren’t at stake.

Adrios sighed and stretched. He was wasting time. He hated the idea of hunting down mages. Or templars, for that matter. The memory of Knight Lieutenant Sarah and Knight Commander Raymond always swam to mind when he fought templars. He knew that they weren’t all corrupt, but it was a little disheartening to see how many were.

He strode out of the room, the door shutting quietly behind him. He made his way down the hall, into the main hall of the fort. Cassandra, Solas, and Varric were all waiting for him.

“It’s time,” Adrios said quietly. “The templars are to the northwest, and the mages are to the southeast. Shall we do the mages first, and then we can do the templars on the way to report in to Master Dennett?”

“Corporal Vale left word that the watchtowers were completed about an hour ago,” Cassandra informed Adrios, who nodded in response. He rubbed the metal of Lydia’s staff between his thumb and forefinger absentmindedly. He sighed, pulling himself out of his melancholy mood, and the party left the Fort. The large portcullis was being installed currently, so they made their way out the hole in the wall that had been left unrepaired while the portcullis was being installed. They made their way through the empty farms. The soldier patrols through this area had forced both the templars and the mages back to their hideouts, but Adrios knew that they had to strike while the iron was hot. If they waited, one—or both—of the groups would retaliate. And they may not win that fight.

The forest was very eerie to the group, full of mist and strange shrieking cries. Adrios could tell there were some rifts in the area from the pins and needles shooting across his left arm, but until this magical mist was dispelled, he had no way to investigate.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going Slick?” Varric asked hesitantly. Everyone in the party had a base amount of magic resistance, but the fog was overcoming most of those resistances and rendering them fairly blind to their surroundings. Adrios smiled faintly.

“Yes, I’m quite sure Varric,” He said quietly. “I can sense immense magical energy coming in this direction. It should be their base.” Sure enough, a faint red glow seemed to form on the edge of the fog. As they continued getting closer, Adrios saw that it was a powerful barrier that had been erected over the entrance to a cave. It had been reinforced with fire magic and a demon of rage had been bound to further enforce the barrier.

Adrios rolled his eyes. This barrier might have stopped lesser mages, but it was child’s play to him. He looked down and very faintly saw the summoning circle that was still present, and noticed the glyphs that were binding the rage demon. He reached into his pack, and drew out a piece of chalk. He very carefully added one single line to the summoning circle, and created an end. The circle was a circle no longer, which unraveled the entire spell. The demon was banished and the barrier vanished with a sound of water being poured on a fire.

“Very impressive Herald,” Solas said, nodding at him. Adrios smiled at Solas. The more impressive things he did, the more people referred to him as the Herald instead of his name. He was fighting a losing battle. Adrios knew that Cassandra disliked his approach to fighting the rebels, but he knew that he had to give people a chance. When the Grand Enchanter and Knight Commander broke away, they brought with them a lot of reluctant rebels who felt they had no choice in their fates.

Adrios wanted to give them a choice.

Adrios strode confidently into the cave, and there were shouts of warning from deeper in the cave. “Mages!” Adrios shouted, his voice carrying deep into the cave. “We are not your enemies! We are here on behalf of the Inquisition! We offer you a chance to be a part of us, and help to be the balm that heals Thedas! We cannot allow you to continue wreaking havoc! Please lay down your weapons and you will be welcomed into the Inquisition!” Adrios paused, allowing his words to sink into those deeper in. Once it had stopped echoing, he jerked his head and the party followed him in. Cassandra moved to take point, and Adrios threw up a barrier on the party. They rounded a corner and entered a very large cavern. A few tents were set up, and a small crowd of mages stood near the farthest tent.

At their footsteps, all of them turned to face the group. There were about twenty in the group, a smattering of older mages and young apprentices. The fear in this group was so strong, you could almost taste it on the air.

“Kill them!” The mage that was near the center commanded, pointing at Adrios’ party. Weapons were readied, but Adrios had time enough to see about seven of the mages from the group drop their weapons and flee towards the back of the cave.

The mage that had shouted waved his hand and large icicles formed above his head, about two feet long. They shot towards Adrios, almost quicker than the eye could follow. Adrios held up his hand and the icicles collided with a barrier about two feet in front of Cassandra, sliding off the barrier and slamming into the walls of the cavern. Adrios then made a complex gesture with a hand, forming the glyph on the floor that would leech mana off the spellcasters. Two of the mages threw up their hand and force magic caught Adrios as he was weaving his spell. Adrios was thrown backwards, but he kept his balance and dug in his heels, only moving about a foot. _Surprising. They knew how to counter that. I’ll have to use another tactic._

Cassandra had since rushed forward, harrying some of the mages and keeping them from casting spells. Solas and Varric were working together to attempt to disable barriers on mages, or keep them from casting any spells other than barrier reinforcing spells. Adrios concentrated for a moment, before throwing his hand up towards the ceiling. A purple ball of energy flew from his hand and hovered close to the ceiling above the group. Another moments concentration, and it started to radiate purple energy. Adrios reinforced all of the barriers on his party right before a massive bolt of lightning dropped from the sphere.

It crashed onto the floor in the center of the party with an almighty crash. All but the strongest barriers were useless—only two mages were left standing, the others electrocuted where they stood or thrown against the walls with the force of a stampede. The two mages left standing seemed shocked—no pun intended—at the force of Adrios’ spell, and looked frightened.

“Please!” Adrios shouted at them. “You don’t have to fight us—help us bring order to Thedas!” The mages exchanged a look before they looked back at Adrios. They both gestured, and fireballs formed by their hands. Adrios sighed, and held up his left hand. A small blue ball about the size of a coin appeared above his hand. He tossed it towards the two mages. It fell between the two mages and lay on the floor for a moment, before an explosion of cold blasted out. Both mages were frozen solid, and frost clung to the air in a four feet radius around them. Cassandra sheathed her sword and looked at Adrios.

“Slick, you are a force of nature,” Varric sheathed Bianca, shaking his head.

“Sir,” A very shaky voice called out, and Adrios glanced around. The group of mages that had split from the party were emerging from a bend farther into the cave. There were about seven, three of them wounded. All of them looked very young, with the youngest being about twelve. The mage leading the group had spoken, and he had a black eye and it looked like his jaw was fractured. “Did you really mean what you said?”

“I did,” Adrios confirmed, moving forward cautiously. “You are all welcome in the Inquisition. You will be under a brief period of probation, but that simply means no weapons and you will be under guard.” The mage limped forward towards Adrios, crossing the remaining distance between them.

“We did not want to become rebels,” The mage sighed, and Adrios gripped the mages shoulder to help steady him. “We just wanted to be free. And if we questioned those we followed…” Adrios could see the consequences of questioning the leadership in the bruises on this man’s face.

“Are there any others injured?” Adrios called to the group. The three severely wounded people stepped forward, and Adrios held his hand up to the man’s face while they approached. He concentrated, and gold light flooded from his fingers. Adrios concentrated and he could feel in his mind all of the fractures that the man had, all the damaged blood vessels. He healed the worst with the help of a spirit that answered his mental summons, and held the spirit while he moved onto the other injured. Once he was finished, he released the spirit with a silent thanks and looked at the small group of mages. “Follow us to our Fort. You will report to Corporal Vale, and we will ensure you are recognized as our allies.”

The group filed out of the cavern after Adrios and his small party, and Adrios couldn’t help but feel a little happier that he hadn’t had to slaughter all of the mages in the camp. As the exited the cave, Adrios also noticed that the confusing mists had dispersed while they were in the cave, and Adrios could see the dark beauty of the thick forest around him. There were some strange statues and carvings scattered about, remnants of the Avar rule before they had been driven into the mountains. Adrios looked at them longingly, but he had no time to stop and study them.

The strange group moved off towards Fort Connor, and the soldiers patrolling the fields didn’t spare them a second glance. They had all been instructed by their superiors to give all of the rebels the same chance Adrios had given this group, and it was not unusual for a patrol to return with some of the rebels in tow. Corporal Vale had been concerned about this at first, but Adrios had given clear instructions that any rebel that had been brought to the Inquisition’s side had to be taken back to Haven. Usually when guards were being rotated back to Haven, they were accompanied by an assignment of the former rebels. Adrios was just pleased that there hadn’t been any confrontations between the rebel mages and the rogue templars.

They passed into the keep, and Adrios gave instructions for one of the soldiers to take this group of mages to Corporal Vale for assignments. The mages followed the soldier off, calling their thanks as they went. Adrios turned to leave and caught sight of an unreadable expression on Solas’ face before the look vanished.

“Next up—templars,” Adrios said, trying to not sound as mentally exhausted as he felt. The small party trouped off in the direction of the templar camp.

Adrios did not have quite as good luck with the templars. There was only one that he managed to bring to their side, in a group of about thirty. Luckily, their party made short work of the templars and a patrol passed near them moments after they were finished and the templar left with them.

Adrios led the party towards Master Dennett’s farms. Now, to report in.

“I hear you cleaned the area up Inquisition,” Dennett boomed, standing outside his home with his wife. “Good work. It’ll be safer for our farmers and those refugees now.” He crossed his arms. “You’ve held up our end of the bargain Inquisition. You’ll have my whole stable, and hands to go with it.”

Adrios grinned broadly. “Thank you very much Master Dennett.” He hesitated a moment, before continuing. “Would I be able to convince you to join our cause?”

Master Dennett stroked his beard, staring at the party intently. “You’ve cleaned up the area, and I can’t say I’m not tempted. Still…it feels wrong to abandon my lands to go play horsemaster again.”

Adrios looked at Dennett shrewdly, thinking quickly. “The Inquisition will have ties from Tevinter all the way to Antiva…I would imagine if you join, you’d be seeing a lot of things you would never see otherwise. Different breeds, different rearing techniques…” Adrios didn’t miss the quick exchange of looks between Master Dennett and his wife, or the tiny smile that crossed Elaina’s face.

“Very well Inquisition,” Master Dennett grumbled, his beard not completely hiding his smile. “You drive a hard bargain, but never let it be said that Redcliff ever gave less than its best. I’ll pack my things, and meet you at Haven as well.”

Adrios nodded, beaming up at him. The party strode back down the hill towards Fort Connor. “Looks like it’s finally time to return to Haven and make use of Mother Giselle’s information!”


	5. Getting Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrios getting closer to a certain Commander, and makes plans to go to Val Royeaux.

Chapter 5 – Getting Closer

“It is so much nicer riding compared to walking,” Adrios sighed. Cassandra, Solas, Varric, and himself were leading the caravan. There were about fifty reformed rebels, Mother Giselle, and about two hundred horses surrounded by Master Dennett’s people. There was no response, but Adrios hadn’t expected one. Their time in the Hinterlands had been exhausting, and he was looking forward to resting in his cabin instead of the makeshift accommodations in Fort Connor and the Crossroads. The fires of Haven appeared on the horizon, and Adrios urged his horse into a slightly faster trot. He was eager to get back.

The next hour or so was chaos, as the former rebels were instructed where to go and the horses were led to the stables. Adrios explained to Mother Giselle where the Chantry was located and where to find Leliana. Once everyone was assigned and the crowd had dispersed, Adrios sighed in the peace and quiet he suddenly found himself in.

“Herald!” Adrios turned and saw Harritt gesturing for him to come to the forge. Adrios walked down the path, and stopped on the other side of the fence. “How did your armor hold up?”

“Excellent,” Adrios turned on the spot, allowing Harritt to examine the armor he had crafted. “No damage. Thank you again.” Harritt grunted, and turned back to the forge. Adrios smiled, and walked down the path towards the main gates. Adrios passed by the training ground, and saw Cullen watching recruits go through drills. On a whim, he approached the Commander.

Cullen and another man in full plate were watching the recruits run through drills with each other. “You there! That’s a shield in your hand, block with it! If this man was your enemy, you’d be dead!” There was an audible sigh, even from behind his back. “Lieutenant, don’t hold back. The recruits must be ready for a real fight, not a practice one.”

The other man saluted with his right fist over his left shoulder and bowed. “Yes Commander.” He walked briskly over to a makeshift desk formed in a tent to block the wind. Cullen seemed to notice Adrios standing there and smiled at the man as he approached.

“Welcome back Herald,” Cullen jerked his head towards the recruits. “We’ve received a number of recruits, locals from Haven and a few pilgrims.”

“Have you been finding use for those I’ve brought back from the rebel groups?” Adrios asked curiously. _I didn’t ask their permission to do this, after all._ Adrios felt his stomach clench a little. _For all I know, they could have executed them or imprisoned them._

Cullen’s lips twitched a little. “Leliana wasn’t expecting that to happen, but she did have those you brought back shadowed. Any that pass their probationary period will be granted full rights to Haven. As it stands, any on probation are not allowed beyond the main floor of the Chantry or near any of the points of interest in Haven without a senior guard present.” Adrios frowned nervously, unsure if this was a good thing. Cullen correctly interpreted the look on his face. “No, I applaud your initiative Herald. We shouldn’t be killing without thought or mercy.”

“Please Commander,” Adrios asked weakly. Butterflies were dancing in his stomach as Cullen’s amber eyes bore into him. “Just Adrios. No Herald, just my name.”

Cullen grinned at him. “As you wish, Adrios. As long as you call me Cullen.” Adrios felt his butterflies move up into his throat and he nodded, feeling a flush spread across his face. “Anyway,” Cullen gestured towards the Breach in the sky, “none of these recruits have made quite the entrance you did.”

Adrios laughed, feeling some of his nervous energy dissipate. “You know me. I love to make an entrance. I need to have everyone’s attention, for some reason.”

Cullen laughed. “You certainly got everyone’s attention.” _Are his eyes lingering on me, or this just a vain hope?_ Cullen’s eyes took on a faraway expression and he turned to look out onto the frozen lake. “I was recruited in Kirkwall.” He said abruptly, disturbing Adrios’ inner struggles. “I was there during the mage uprising. I saw firsthand, the devastation that it can cause…”

“Sir!” A runner sped up to Cullen’s side and held out the clipboard that had been tucked under his arm. Cullen took it with a nod to the runner, and started to review the papers.

“Cassandra sought a solution,” Cullen continued, glancing through the papers on the clipboard. “When she offered me a position, I left the templars to join her cause.” Cullen glanced up and met Adrios’ eyes, and Adrios couldn’t suppress the shiver in response. “Now, it seems we face something far worse.”

“Conclave destroyed, a giant hole in the sky,” Adrios was surprised that his voice was so calm and flippant. “Things sure aren’t looking good, are they?”

“Which is why we are needed,” Cullen responded seriously, adding his seal to the papers in front of him and handing them back to the runner who shot off. “The Chantry lost control of both the templars and the mages, and now they argue over a new Divine while the Breach remains.” Another runner sped up to Cullen and held out his clipboard. Adrios tried to hide the smile that formed on his lips. He could see the tiniest bit of frustration on the Commander’s face at all the paperwork. “The Inquisition could act, when the Chantry could not.” Cullen held Adrios’ gaze, his face becoming earnest. “Our followers could be a part of that! There’s so much we could…” Cullen seemed to recover himself, and dropped his gaze. Much to Adrios’ disappointment. “Forgive me. I doubt you came here for a lecture.”

“Don’t apologize Cullen,” Adrios said quietly, as Cullen added his seal to this runner’s paperwork and sent the runner off. Cullen’s eyes flicked to Adrios. “It’s nice to see you speak with such passion.” Adrios gave him a hesitant smile, scratching the back of his hand nervously. Cullen smiled back at him, and Adrios felt the butterflies flare up in his stomach again. _Maker, I’m like a besotted teenager._

“I…uh,” Cullen seemed to be a little flustered himself. “There’s still a lot of work to be done here.”

“Commander!” Another runner dashed up. Adrios rolled his eyes, and he saw Cullen suppress a smile at his reaction. “Ser Rylen has a report on our supply lines.”

“As I was saying,” Cullen jerked his head towards the runner, and took the new clipboard from this runner. Cullen turned his attention to the clipboard, and Adrios ran through mock conversations in his head with the Commander.

_How do I ask to see him without being overtly obvious? I don’t even know if the Commander likes men, after all. He may only like women._ Adrios thought furiously, seeing the Commander apply his seal. A thought struck him like a lightning bolt. “Commander,” Adrios asked. Cullen looked at him with a lopsided smile. “Cullen,” Adrios corrected himself, as Cullen handed the clipboard back to the runner. “Traveling back here with such a compliment left me with a bit of nervous energy. Would you mind sparring with me for a bit?”

Cullen’s eyebrows flew up towards his meticulously maintained hair. “Spar? With you? Adrios, I didn’t know mages could spar. But I have no magic to spar with you—” Adrios held up a hand, smiling a little at Cullen’s reaction.

“I wasn’t referring to magic,” Adrios chuckled. He looked around and noticed a fairly well-balanced longsword on a weapons rack nearby. He walked over and took it off the rack, twirling it in his hand. Adrios turned back towards Cullen, who now just looked shocked. “I think you’ll find I’m full of surprises. And I believe you may need a break from the demons of paperwork.”

Cullen laughed, and walked over to a weapons rack. “As you wish, Adrios. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He grabbed a standard-issue sword and shield, whereas Adrios just held the longsword loosely.

“Shall we dance Commander?” Adrios shifted the sword to his left hand, and holding it gracefully above his head at an angle to point towards the Commander, his right hand by his hip. Cullen nodded, and stopped his approach a few feet away. Adrios heard the surrounding recruits stop their training to watch, but it was driven from his mind as Cullen lunged forward.

A quick jab here, a swing here. Adrios sidestepped each with minimal effort, allowing Cullen to test his defenses. He felt adrenaline surge through his body. It was so rare that he fought in close-combat, and rarer still that he allowed himself to practice it. Adrios didn’t respond with his sword, simply watching Cullen’s body movements for weaknesses. Cullen’s form was excellent, the shield part of him and not held like a wall. Two more swings, and an attempt at a shield bash. Adrios stepped around the blade swings, and twirled gracefully around the shield bash. He saw Cullen react with mild alarm, and knew that to Cullen’s eyes he had just twirled into an unguarded area and that he hadn’t expected that response. Adrios saw the weak point the moment Cullen knew it was a weakness.

Adrios lunged forward, his blade sweeping upward and Cullen caught it at the last moment in his cross guard, inches from his face. Cullen looked pleased. _He was expecting an easy target._ Adrios would have been bemused, if he wasn’t seeing the next weak point. His being left-handed made it very easy to push swordsmen into rookie mistakes, and he could tell Cullen would be no different. Adrios stepped back, allowing Cullen to regain his ground. Adrios lunged forward and to his right. He saw Cullen react with his shield, and move to attack with his sword. Adrios halted mid-lunge, and kicked off from the ground. He felt himself sail into the air and he backflipped over the Commander. He saw the alarm form in Cullen’s eyes as Adrios soared over his defenses, and in a moment Adrios’ blade was against Cullen’s neck.

But…

Cullen’s sword was pointed directly at Adrios’ heart.

“Excellent job Commander,” Adrios panted, wiping sweat from his brow.

“That was…” Cullen seemed a little out of breath as well, sweat beading on his forehead. “Extremely unexpected. Not very many mages could handle a sword that well.” Adrios laughed, and tossed the longsword towards one of the watching recruits. The recruit scrambled to catch it correctly, but continued to stare in awe. Adrios motioned towards Cullen’s desk, and the two of them walked through the circle of onlookers that had formed.

“I’m full of surprises Cullen,” Adrios grinned cheekily, and Cullen laughed.

“Apparently so,” Cullen replied as they reached his desk, and Cullen wiped his face off on a cloth that was on the desk. “So, I gather that you are from the Circle in Ostwick?” Adrios nodded, leaning against the corner of the desk while Cullen continued reviewing papers.

Adrios nodded. “I’ve spent the better part of my life there. It feels…strange. To be away from it.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Cullen replied quietly, setting the clipboard down. “I’m still getting used to it, myself. It’s been…interesting.” He shook himself a little, giving Adrios a sheepish look. “Sorry. The Circle isn’t the most pleasant topic of conversation right now. Or…ever. Actually.”

Adrios considered him a moment. “You know…” Adrios folded his hands, and crossed his legs. He was quite tall, but could still cross his legs comfortably on this desk. “I’ve never really been able to speak candidly with a templar. Would you be able to tell me more about the Order?”

Cullen considered him back, but only a moment. “I can hardly tell you what is going on with the Order right now. But other than that, I will answer your questions as best I can.”

“Fair enough,” Adrios smiled at him. “Why did you join the order?”

“I could think of no better calling than to protect those in need,” Cullen sat down in his chair but turned it so he could look up at Adrios. “I used to beg the templars at the local Chantry where I grew up to teach me. At first, they just humored me. But I must have shown some promise. Or at least, a willingness to learn. The Knight-Captain spoke to my parents on my behalf, and they agreed to send me for training. I was…thirteen, when I left home.”

“Thirteen…” Adrios looked off into the horizon. “That’s still so young.”

Cullen laughed, making Adrios glance in his direction. “Compared to when you were brought into the Circle? How old were you, Ser Trevelyan? Five? Six?” Adrios grumbled at him, but couldn’t stop the smile spreading onto his face.

“Three,” Adrios admitted, smiling wider at Cullen’s shocked face. “I was a very early bloomer. Apparently, my mother found me making the objects in my nursery levitate. Books, rattles…my nanny.” Cullen laughed abruptly, and Adrios laughed with him. _He has such a wonderful laugh._ Adrios realized he had been staring, and he saw a wall raise itself in Cullen’s eyes. Adrios felt his face flush.

“I wasn’t the youngest there,” Cullen continued, looking away and his face flushing. “Some are given to the Order at infancy. Still, I didn’t take on full responsibilities until I turned eighteen. The Order sees you trained and educated first.”

“What about your family? Did you miss them?”

“Of course. But there were many my age who felt the same. We learned to look out for one another.”

Adrios chewed his bottom lip nervously. “What about your daily duties? Prior to the Conclave, I’ve only ever encountered templars in the Circle. Do they do anything other than guard mages?”

“Templars protect against the dangers that magic pose,” Cullen replied. “That meant serving in a Circle, hunting maleficarum, or fighting demons inevitably summoned by the weak or malicious.”

Adrios felt his brow furrow. “What do you think of mages then? Are they all a threat?”

Cullen hesitated before meeting Adrios’ gaze. “I’ve seen the suffering magic can inflict. I’ve treated mages with distrust because of it...at times without cause. It was unworthy of me. I will try not to do so here.” Adrios could see that there was something Cullen was holding back but Cullen didn’t seem willing to speak any further on the matter.

“You mean except for the probation on mages and templars?” Adrios smiled at Cullen, who smiled back. Cullen’s eyes still harbored the ghosts of his past, and his smile didn’t reach them.

“Well, yes,” Cullen admitted. “They can’t be allowed total freedom. At least at first. We need safeguards in place to protect people—especially mages—from possession.”

There was a brief silence as Cullen and Adrios stared out into the distance. “So…I know what an average day in a Circle was like for me. But what was it like for templars?” Cullen laughed, but there was no humor in his voice.

“’Typical,’” Cullen scoffed. “The last time I was in a Circle was right before it fell apart. Nothing was ‘typical.’”

“Before that then.” Adrios suppressed his impulse to roll his eyes.

Cullen sighed. “Certain rituals require a full guard. A mage’s Harrowing, for instance. I’ve attended a few. Most of the time you just…maintain a presence. Patrolling the Circle. Ready to respond if needed. Mages pretend to ignore that presence, but they are watching you just as closely. We are expected to keep a certain…distance from our charges. If a mage is possessed, we must respond without hesitation.”

“See, I’ve never understood that,” Adrios replied. Cullen looked at him curiously. “How is it better to maintain that level of distance? We will never understand each other if we do that. And it will keep us from living together peacefully.”

Cullen’s face was thoughtful. “I agree, but I’ve never lived in a tower where there wasn’t a level of animosity between the templars and mages,” Cullen replied after a moment.

“Ostwick was like that,” Adrios smiled, thinking back to how everything was. “Knight-Commander Raymond and First Enchanter Belle kept the peace by talking things out. None of the templars were openly mean. Some weren’t overly friendly, but there was never any problems between mages and templars.” Adrios glanced over to see Cullen with a surprised look on his face.

“Sound almost too good to be true,” Cullen replied, smiling. Adrios nodded and their eyes met. Adrios couldn’t look away, feeling the amber eyes drawing him in. Cullen broke the stare, his cheeks reddening as he looked down. “Well, I have reports to finish up. It was nice talking with you Her—” Adrios gave him a stern look “—I mean, Adrios.”

“Yeah,” Adrios replied as Cullen turned and began going through reports on his desk. He turned and walked up the path, leading towards the main gates of Haven. He walked up the path and headed towards his cabin. _A nice long soak will be wonderful,_ Adrios thought with a smile as he walked. _I’m sure they’ll call a meeting soon._

True to his thoughts, there was a knock at his door about forty minutes later as he was toweling off. “Yes?” Adrios called through the door.

There was a hesitation before a response. “Seeker Cassandra and Sister Leliana request you join them in the War Room.”

“Let them know I’ll be there shortly,” Adrios turned and noticed one of the drawers of his dresser wasn’t pushed all the way in. He opened it hesitantly and saw that Harritt had apparently delivered more sets of this armor for him and a servant had put it away for him. Royal blue, a rich purple, a bright green, a brilliant red. About six of them in bright colors. _I’ll have to thank him._ Adrios was shocked, but decided to don the purple one. _I’m probably more spoiled than I should be…even though I hate this Herald thing, I guess it has its perks_. Adrios dressed quickly and strode out of his cabin and up the path to the Chantry. People nodded to him as he passed, and only a few people gave him dirty looks as they passed. _Quite the improvement,_ Adrios thought bemusedly. He ascended the hill and passed by the tents for the scouts and Leliana’s tent at the head closest to the Chantry. He pushed the large doors open slightly, walking through the small gap and letting the heavy doors shut behind him.

The inside of the Chantry was bustling with activity, Mother Giselle was directing the other sisters and they were all bustling around with healing reagents and bandages. Adrios walked around the healers and Mother Giselle nodded to him as he passed. He walked to the door leading to the War Room and opened the door quietly. He could hear Cullen, Leliana, Josephine, and Cassandra talking quietly together and they looked at him as the door closed.

“Herald,” Josephine curtsied to him.

“You sent for me?” Adrios approached the table, folding his hands behind himself and drawing himself up to his full height.

Leliana nodded. “I just finished speaking with Mother Giselle. She has given me names, and I have already called for those to be brought together so we could speak with them.”

Josephine cleared her throat. “And I believe that having the Herald address them would be best.”

Cullen scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”

“Mother Giselle isn’t wrong,” Josephine persisted. “Right now, the Chantry’s only strength is that they are united in opinion.”

“And we should ignore the danger to the Herald?” Leliana asked, her voice neutral.

“Let’s ask him,” Josephine had a bit of a devilish smile and all four of them turned to look at Adrios.

Adrios looked back at them wide-eyed. “I’m not quite sure why this is even up for debate. I figured it was assumed that I would be addressing them?”

Leliana and Cullen shared a look before Cullen spoke. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, me being the Herald is our strongest weapon at the moment,” Adrios replied, shifting from foot to foot. “The people’s belief that Andraste delivered me from the Fade after the destruction at the Conclave are a strong part of what is drawing people to the Inquisition. As word spreads of our intervention in the Hinterlands, that will be a more reliable way to draw people. But currently…” Adrios trailed off, shrugging a little.

Leliana and Cullen shared another look, too quick for Adrios to decipher it. “You’re not wrong Herald,” Leliana spoke quietly, her eyes piercing.

“As for danger,” Adrios shrugged again. “Danger is a part of all of this. If you believe my going will be beneficial, I will go.”

Cassandra cleared her throat, speaking at last. “I will go with him.” She looked at Leliana. “Mother Giselle provided you names, yes? Use them.”

“Why?” Leliana asked, exasperation plain in her voice. “This is all a waste of—”

“What choice do we have Leliana?” Cassandra’s voice rose and her accent deepened. “Right now, we can’t approach anyone for help with the Breach. Use what influence we have gained to call the clerics together. Once they are ready, we will see this through.”

There was a pause as Josephine made notes on her clipboard and nodded. “The meeting will most likely be in Val Royeaux. Once we hear back from our contacts to begin preparations, you will need to ride out for the capital. By the time you get there, we will have been able to arrange the meeting before they gain more strength.” Adrios nodded.

“Is there something you would like me to do in the meantime?” Adrios asked politely.

Leliana smirked at him. “Perhaps the Commander and you can spar more? Work some of your various…energies out?” Adrios felt his face immediately burn, and Cullen had a coughing fit. His face and ears were also burning red.

“Maker,” Cullen said under his breath.

“On that note,” Adrios said with as much dignity as he could muster. “I’m going to take me leave.” He bowed slightly at the waist and left them behind, Leliana and Josephine giggling.

Adrios walked off towards the library, spending several hours going through the Chantry’s library. It was barely a library however, with much of the texts extremely stained and filled with mildew. The few books that weren’t on the verge of falling apart were very common books that he had read in the Tower years ago. After that disappointing discovery, he had ventured into the basement of the Chantry to explore. He had found a few locked doors that he had attempted to leave alone. After exploring the rest of the basement and finding only empty cells however, his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he had used a bit of force magic to open the locks. The inside of the cells had been slightly more interesting, since they contained excerpts from the original townspeople of Haven and their strange rituals. Finding nothing else of interest, Adrios sighed and shut the doors behind himself and ascended the stairs. As he got to the top of the stairs, he heard a slight cough. Adrios turned and saw Josephine speaking with an Orlesian noble. She gave a very slight jerk of her head, which Adrios recognized from his time in court and quickly walked over to her.

“The Inquisition cannot remain if you cannot prove that it was founded on Justinia’s orders,” The man was saying in a commanding tone. _Nobles are always so insistent that people listen to them, without listening themselves._ Adrios thought in a bored tone, seeing relief flit across Josephine’s face.

“This is an inopportune time Marquis,” Josephine replied in a polite and patient tone. “More of the faithful flock here each day. But, may I introduce the brave soul that risked his life to slow the magic of the Breach?” The man turned his attention to Adrios, who bowed to him. “Ser Adrios Trevelyan, may I introduce the Marquis DuRellion, one of Divine Justinia’s greatest supporters.”

“And the rightful owner of Haven!” The Marquis interrupted, his tone bordering insolent. “House DuRellion lent these lands to Divine Justinia for a pilgrimage. This…’Inquisition’ is not a beneficiary of this arrangement.”

“How strange,” Adrios scratched his chin thoughtfully, having practiced enough with the gauntlets to do so without tearing open his flesh. “I remember reading about the DuRellion holding Fereldan lands during the Orlesian occupation of Fereldan, but nothing since. I’m surprised with the Blight and the current political climate you were able to secure your lands from the Fereldan crown.” There was a pregnant pause as the Marquis was still and silent, his expression unreadable behind his elaborate mask. A quick glance to Josephine showed Adrios that Josephine’s jaw had fallen open. _Hopefully that’s awe and not horror._ “I do hope you will think about allowing us to stay Marquis. There are so many pilgrims here in the cold, turning them out into the snow would not bode well for any relations with Orlais or the DuRellion’s…”

“I…will have to think on this, Lady Montilyet,” The Marquis said finally, bowing to them both. “You might stay in the meantime.” The Marquis left and the door shut quietly behind him.

“I hope I didn’t mess that up,” Adrios said quietly, turning to Josephine.

“How…” Josephine was staring at him. “How did you know about the DuRellion’s? Leliana had to dig up that information on them in order for us to know to push that weakness.”

“Oh,” Adrios blushed, suddenly self-conscious. “I kind of horde knowledge. I’m fairly certain I read about the DuRellion’s in a book on the history of Orlais invasions and their aftermaths…but I might be wrong.”

“Well, I wouldn’t have pressed that advantage as early as you did,” Josephine said, walking over and sitting at her desk with a sigh. “He might yet be amenable to reason. Or the promising of future favors, since we can now show how quickly we stabilized Haven. But we will see when… _if_ he comes back tomorrow.”

Adrios walked over to the desk, crossing his arms. “Diplomats always come back Josephine. They’re like a venereal disease.”

Josephine giggled, looking up at him with an attempt at disapproval on her face. “You are terrible Herald. But thank you for your assistance.” She looked down at her desk, but Adrios could sense she had more to say. “I…wanted to ask you if anyone has been…unkind to you while you have been here. In Haven.”

Adrios raised an eyebrow. “Unkind?”

Josephine nodded and looked up at him. “There have been some unpleasant rumors going around, since you are a mage. We need to support you, if we are going to have you on our front lines as the Herald.” She looked up at him. “Please let me know if this occurs.”

Adrios inclined his head to her. “Absolutely Lady Montilyet.” He bowed deeply to her. She smiled at him, and Adrios turned to leave. He noticed a woman in blue robes walking through the Chantry and heading towards the library. He quickly followed, closing the door behind him. The woman walked into the library and Adrios followed, reaching the door before it closed fully. He walked in and saw several people moving about with purpose, the woman walking over to a desk. As he walked over, he noticed the monotone voices of the people around him. _I didn’t know there were Tranquil here?_

The woman turned to see Adrios approach, and he saw her eyes go wide. “Herald! I wasn’t expected to see you here.” She straightened up. “My name is Minaeve, and I’m a…researcher of sorts.”

“I was just…surprised to see another mage here,” Adrios felt his heart sink. He had been hoping for someone he knew…perhaps someone that he could connect with. “And Tranquil.”

Minaeve looked around, smiling to the Tranquil. “I rescued these ones when our Circle fell. They were left behind by the other mages.”

“I’m glad to have them here,” Adrios smiled at her and turned to leave.

“Oh, and Herald?” Adrios turned at Minaeve’s word. “If you find anything left behind by monsters or creatures, bring them to us. We are working to help the soldiers against their fights.” Adrios nodded to her, feeling his heart sinking in his chest.

_I think it’s time to go back to the cabin._


	6. The Jewel of Orlais

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrios and party venture to Val Royeaux, and meet up with two new members of his Inner Circle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, I feel it is more believable that the party members will go do things on their own. I don't see why the Inquisitor would be holding their hands when they're all incredibly capable people. So, some key things may be skipped simply because I believe that my Inquisitor would want to do things in the most effective manner possible.
> 
> I also believe I have gotten through most of the character introductions. We should be getting into the juicy bits soon.

Chapter 6 – The Jewel of Orlais

Adrios dismounted from the horse and walked closer to the gates. Behind him, he heard grunts as Cassandra, Varric, and Solas did the same. It had been years since he had been to Val Royeaux, and he hadn’t been looking forward to returning. It was a beautiful city, but the people inside were too cold for his liking. As the others approached him, he turned to face them.

“The city still mourns,” Cassandra said darkly, church bells sounding throughout the city. They started walking down the broad streets into the city proper. It was mainly deserted, but a few people were walking towards them down the road. Well, until they got to about ten feet from the party. Once they noticed who their party was, there were screams and gasps and they quickly scattered.

“Just a guess Seeker,” Varric said conversationally, “but I think they may know who we are.”

“Your skills of observation never fails to amaze me, Varric,” Cassandra’s voice was like ice, and Adrios resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The four of them walked down the long paths, lined with huge marble statues and golden nameplates. Suddenly, a figure appeared and ran towards them.

“My Lord Herald,” The scout, which became evident as the figure was wearing Inquisition armor, fell to her knees in front of Adrios. Adrios, for his part, took a step back in shock before he recovered himself.

“You’re one of Leliana’s people,” Cassandra said, stepping forward as if people falling to their knees in front of her was commonplace. “What have you found?”

“The Chantry Mothers await you but…” The scout looked between Cassandra and the Herald cautiously, “so do a great many templars.”

“There are templars here?” Cassandra said slowly, almost thoughtfully.

“The people seem to think the templars will protect them from…” The scout paused again, looking at the Herald cautiously, “from the Inquisition.”

“They wish to protect the people…from us?!” Cassandra asked, outrage in her voice.

“Are you surprised Cassandra?” Adrios asked dryly. “I mean, truly surprised?”

“I’m not,” Solas said quietly in an even tone.

“But I didn’t expect the templars to make an appearance…” Cassandra rubbed her temples.

“The people may just be assuming what the templars will do,” The scout said, standing up from her kneeling position. “I’ve heard of no concrete plans.”

“You think the Order has returned to the fold maybe?” Varric asked, crossing his arms. “To deal with us upstarts?”

“I know Lord Seeker Lucius,” Cassandra said, steel in her voice. “I can’t imagine him coming to the Chantry’s defense, not after all that’s happened.” She sighed and turned to the scout. “Where did you see them?”

“They’re gathering on the other side of the Market. I think that’s where they intend to meet you,” The scout replied.

“Return to Haven,” Cassandra said with another, deeper sigh. “Someone will need to inform them if we are…delayed.” The scout saluted Cassandra and jogged off towards the outskirts of the city. The party was silent as they continued on their path towards the city. The path was long, but eventually came to a large central square in the city. Adrios recognized the trees, holding the infamous La Pomme Vie et Morte. They continued through the marketplace, guards sneering at their approach and seeing a massive crowd of people in front of a platform. Adrios exchanged a grim look with Cassandra before approaching the stage.

“Good people of Val Royeuax…” A Revered Mother was addressing the crowd from the stage, several other clerics arrayed around her. And a lone templar, from what Adrios could tell. “Hear me. Together, we mourn our Divine. Her naïve and beautiful heart…silenced, by treachery.” She threw her arms wide, as if to embrace the crowd. _Such grandstanding,_ Adrios thought ruefully. “You wonder what will become of her murderer. Well, wonder no more!” She pointed at Adrios, and the crowd parted and turned on Adrios and Cassandra. “Behold! The so-called Herald of Andraste, claiming to rise where our Beloved fell.” She crossed her arms, and the sneer that appeared on her face was one that Adrios was all too used to dealing with. “We say this is a _false prophet_! The Maker would send us no mage in our hour of need!”

“Please!” Adrios called, his tone pleading. “We came here in peace, simply to talk about the crisis that is on our hands! We want to ensure that the Breach is closed before more lives are lost! Please…help us, before it is too late!” There were murmuring in the crowd around them, but Adrios paid them no mind.

The Revered Mother crossed her arms, a look of barely contained glee on her face. The sound of armored steps on the cobblestones began to ring out and a line of templars approached from a side street. She pointed to the templars, leering at Adrios and Cassandra. “It is already too late! The templars have returned to the Chantry! They will face this ‘Inquisition’ and the people will be safe once more!” The templars filed onto the platform, the templar leading the line in impressive armor walked past the Mother without even a glance in her direction. The Mother looked after the templar with almost a pleading look on her face, and so was caught off guard when the templar bringing up the rear hauled back and punched her in the side of the head. She cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground, some people in the crowd screaming in fear. The templar that had been on the platform to begin with looked extremely uncomfortable, and made to help the Mother up when the man in impressive armor grabbed his shoulder with a wide smile on his face.

“Still yourself,” The man said, his tone commanding and causing the other templar to pause in his movements. “She is beneath us.”

“Excuse me, but—” Adrios stepped forward towards the stage, “—what the actual fuck?!”

The man in impressive armor turned to Adrios, smirking at him. “Her claim to ‘authority’ is an insult. Much like your own.” He turned and descended the stage and Adrios felt Cassandra leave his side to approach him.

“Lord Seeker Lucius,” She began as she approached him. _That explains who this is,_ Adrios thought as he followed behind her. “It is imperative that we speak with—”

“You will not address me,” Lucius said, in an almost bored tone.

“Lord Seeker…?” Cassandra repeated in an almost confused tone.

Lucius finally turned to face her, his face contorted in anger. “Creating a heretical movement? Raising up a puppet as Andraste’s prophet? You should be ashamed.” The templars moved into neat lines at his back as Lucius’ voice raised to address the crowd. “You should all be ashamed! The templars failed no one when they left the Chantry to purge the mages! YOU are the ones who have failed! You, who would leash our righteous swords with doubt and fear! If you came to appeal to the Chantry, you are _too late_. The only destiny here that demands respect—” Lucius’ voice took on an almost animal tone and Adrios felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up “—is _mine._ ”

Cassandra seemed frozen in shock, and Adrios stepped past her. “So why did the templars return to Val Royeaux at this moment? To attack Revered Mothers and show how far they have fallen?” Adrios cast out with his mind as he spoke and found a strange emptiness to the Lord Seeker, and an even stranger red hue to the auras of the majority of the templars that were surrounding him. _Curious._

Lucius laughed, his laughter cruel and making Adrios’ sense of unease increase. “I came to see what frightens old women so, and to laugh!”

The templar that had originally been on the stage, a dark skinned man with kind eyes, came forward to Lucius. “Lord Seeker…but what if he really was sent by the Maker? What if—”

The templar standing immediately to Lucius’ right turned and spoke, his voice cold and even. “You are called to a higher purpose. Do not question!”

“I will make the templar order a power that stands alone against the Void!” Lucius’ voice carried as he turned to address the square again. “We deserve _recognition._ Independence!” Templars surrounding him saluted him, and even the kind-eyed one bowed his head to salute him. “You have shown me nothing. And the Inquisition…less than nothing. Templars! Val Royeaux is _unworthy_ of our protection. We march!” With these words, he turned and led them all through the square to the streets leading out of the city.

The silence was absolute as they left the square, but then all at once all of the people seemed to come to their senses and panic was evident as they talked among themselves. Cassandra turned to Adrios, and Solas and Varric walked over to join them where they had stayed hidden near the fountains.

“Charming fellow, isn’t he?” Varric asked dryly.

“Has the Lord Seeker lost his mind?!” Cassandra shouted, pacing back and forth in front of Adrios.

“How well do you know him?” Adrios asked quietly, his voice neutral.

“He took over the Seekers of Truth two years ago, after Lord Seeker Lambert’s death,” Cassandra replied, rubbing her forehead. “He was always a decent man, never given to ambition and grandstanding. This is…very bizarre, and unlike him.”

“Do you think he can be reasoned with?” Adrios asked, turning to face Cassandra at last. _I don’t know if I should share my suspicions with her._

“I hope so,” Cassandra sighed. “If not him, there are surely others in the Order who don’t feel as he does. Either way, we should return to Haven to inform the others.”

Adrios turned to look around the square. Much of the crowd had fled after the templars had left, but there were a few people milling around. A merchant selling foodstuffs beckoned to him, and he approached her. “You are the Inquisition, yes?” Adrios inclined his head. “Is it true what you say? You are trying to close the hole in the sky?”

“We are trying to, yes,” Adrios nodded.

“No one is doing anything!” The woman shouted, suddenly angry. “The Chantry’s useless and the templars…Maker, I never imagined they’d _abandon_ us!” She paused and Adrios remained silent, watching her as she thought. She turned back to face them. “Look, your camp will need food, yes? I can have deliveries there in days.”

“You wish to help us?” Adrios asked, trying not to show his surprise.

“I’ve never been a part of something as big as the Inquisition,” The woman said, almost to herself before straightening her shoulders. “But I want to help.”

“We welcome your aid,” Adrios smiled at her and bowed slightly at the waist. “Reach out to our quartermaster, and she will arrange a contract with you.” The merchant bowed, and Adrios turned to Cassandra as they walked away. “Did I overstep my bounds?”

Cassandra shook her head. “That was what you were meant to do when you were sent out. Make deals that might not show themselves to us otherwise.” Adrios nodded, continuing to walk towards the path leading out of the city. A whistling noise made Adrios pause, which was good as an arrow embedded itself in the wall in front of him. Adrios blinked in surprise, and noticed that the arrow had a note tied around it. Adrios took the note off an inspected it.

“Red Jenny?” Adrios asked quietly, before turning and looking at Varric. Varric looked intrigued and Adrios handed him the letter. Varric scanned the letter and by the end of it he had a slight smile quirking his lips.

“Interesting,” Varric stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Agreed,” Adrios nodded. “Hold onto that for me.” Adrios led the way towards the city entrance again, looking around at the people still remaining in the square. One man caught his eye, dressed in fine robes. Adrios made a beeline for this man, suspecting he was waiting for him.

“Are you the Herald of Andraste?” The man asked as soon as he was close. Adrios nodded, slightly bemused. “I have an invitation for you.” He handed Adrios an envelope and bowed deeply before walking away. Adrios slit the envelope open and found a heavy piece of parchment, folded neatly.

_You are cordially invited to attend my salon held at the chateau of Duke Bastien de Ghislain._

_Yours,  
Vivienne de Fer  
First Enchanter of Montsimmard  
Enchanter to the Imperial Court_

Adrios raised an eyebrow at the parchment. “I’m almost surprised Madame de Fer isn’t in Halamshiral with Empress Celene.” He folded the parchment and turned to face the others. As he turned, he felt a slight dizziness come over him. He shook his head to clear it, and saw another person approaching them. He sighed, but the feeling made him wary. “Wait, is that—” The others turned at his words.

“If I might have a moment of your time?” The woman was elven and in elegant blue robes. Adrios recognized her at once from the conference he had attended, and was immediately on guard.

“Grand Enchanter Fiona?” Cassandra asked, her brow furrowed and her voice cold.

“Isn’t it dangerous for you to be here?” Solas asked, stepping forward to her.

“I heard of this gathering, and I wanted to see the fabled Herald of Andraste with my own eyes,” She said simply, but Adrios felt his the same prickle of unease as he did when he faced Lucius. “If it’s help with the Breach you seek, perhaps you should look among your fellow mages.”

“You weren’t willing to even consider speaking with the Inquisition before,” Adrios crossed his arms. “Why now?”

“Because now I’ve seen what you are. And I’ve seen the Chantry for what it is,” Fiona looked off into the distance for a moment, before looking back to Adrios. “Consider this an invitation to Redcliff. Come and meet with the mages. An alliance could help us both, after all.” She took a step back, looking at the four of them. “I hope to see you there. Au revoir, my Lord Herald.” She bowed at the waist, and disappeared down a side street.

There was a pause before Adrios spoke in an undertone. “There is something off. About both of them.”

“What do you mean?” Cassandra asked, alarm starting to show in her voice.

“Not here,” Adrios turned back to Cassandra. “Can the three of you look into these clues from Red Jenny?” He held up the parchment. “I have a date with Madame de Fer.”

* ~ *

Adrios ascended the marbles stairs leading into the large foyer. He had been bowed through all of the doors he had approached leading to the chateau on the note. As he entered the foyer, he heard the last man that had bowed him in call into the foyer. “Lord Adrios Trevelyan, representing the Inquisition.

Adrios was immediately swarmed by nobles.

“The Herald of Andraste?”

“It’s so rare to see a new Player in Orlais.”

“You must be a guest a Madame de Fer!”

One lone voice called out from above, drowning the others. “The Inquisition! What a load of pig shit.” A man descended the stairs, wearing a elaborately decorated rapier on his waist and light blue clothing. “Washed up Sisters ad crazed Seekers? No one can take them seriously.” He walked past Adrios, intentionally brushing by him to attempt to make him stumble. “Everyone knows it is just an excuse for a bunch of political outcasts to grab power.”

“Compared to ignorant nobles acting as though there is nothing wrong while the world around them burns?” Adrios asked smoothly, smiling widely at the noble. “Ah yes, attempting to right the wrongs of the world is such a terrible thing by comparison.”

There was a ringing silence following those words. The noble stepped forward, hand on his rapier. “We know what your Inquisition truly is. If you were a man of honor, you would step outside and answer the charges.” His voice was cold. His…aura was cold?

There was a crackling noise as the air around them cooled rapidly, and ice rapidly overtook the nobles form. Within moments, the noble was covered in a thick layer of ice. The only spots free of ice were his eyes and mouth. “My dear Marquis,” A voice rang out from above them, cold as the ice on the mans form, “how unkind of you to use such language in my house…to my guests.” A woman descended the stairs, garbed in elegant white and blue robes with mother-of-pearl buttons and gold trim. She carried herself with as much regal air as a queen would, and she stopped in front of the frozen noble. “You know such rudeness is…intolerable.” Every step of hers was punctuated with the clicking of her heels, the silence in the chamber absolute.

“Madame Vivienne,” The noble stammered out, fear in what Adrios could see of his eyes, “I humbly beg your pardon!”

“You should,” There was a hint of amusement in Vivienne’s voice, even though it was still cold as the ice. “Whatever am I going to do with you, my dear?” She turned to face Adrios. “My Lord, you are the wounded party in this unfortunate affair. What would you have me do with this foolish, foolish man?”

Adrios let his eyebrows raise slightly, and Vivienne’s blue eyes were cold as steel. Adrios bowed slightly at the waist to her. “Madame de Fer, the Marquis doesn’t interest me in the slightest. I defer to you.” There was a slight curve to her full lips as she turned around.

“Poor Marquis,” Her hand caressed his frozen cheek. “Issuing challenges and hurling insults like some Fereldan dog-lord.” She raised her right hand and snapped her fingers. The ice melted away in a second, and the noble fell to his knees as he regained control over his body again. “And all dressed up in your Aunt Solange’s doublet. Didn’t she give you that to wear to the Grand Tourney?” As the noble straightened back up, Adrios could see a flush across his face as Vivienne’s words dug into him. “To think, all the brave chevaliers who will be competing left for Markham this morning…and you’re still here.” Vivienne paused, as the crowd around them began to murmur. “Were you hoping to sate your damaged pride by defeating the Herald of Andraste in a public duel? Or did you think his sword could end the shame of your failure?” The Marquis looked down at the floor, all of the fight gone out of him. Vivienne’s voice had never changed from the polite conversational tone, as if she were discussing the weather instead of destroying all of his confidence. “Run along my dear. Do give my regards to your aunt.” The Marquis scurried away, and the crowd parted for him. Vivienne turned back to Adrios. “I’m delighted you could attend this little gathering. I’ve so wanted to meet you again.” She indicated that he should follow and she walked over towards the windows. “Allow me to introduce myself,” Vivienne stated as they walked. “My name is—”

“Vivienne, also known as Madame de Fer,” Adrios interrupted, making Vivienne’s eyebrows raise slightly. “First Enchanter of the Circle of Montsimmard and Imperial Enchantress.” Adrios bowed deeply to her. “Charmed, Lady Vivienne.”

She laughed, a rich and vibrant sound. “I am surprised you remember all of that from that conference years ago.”

“You are not easy to forget, Madame Vivienne,” Adrios gave her a lopsided smile. “You make quite sure of that.”

She laughed again. “Ah, but I didn’t invite you hear to the chateau for pleasantries.” Her face took on a level of seriousness. “With Divine Justinia dead, the Chantry is in shambles. Only the Inquisition might restore sanity and order to the frightened people of Thedas. As the leader of the last loyal mages in Thedas, I feel it only my right that I lend my assistance to your cause.”

Adrios felt his lips quirk slightly. _She doesn’t know the Circle of Ostwick survived. Or…maybe they haven’t, at this point. I haven’t been able to contact them._ “The Inquisition would be happy to have you, Lady Vivienne.”

She bowed elegantly at the waist. “Great things are beginning my dear. I can promise you that.” She turned to leave. “I will pack my things and meet you in Haven. Until then my dear.” She walked away, and Adrios took this opportunity to leave the mansion.

He walked out of the house and down the long streets leading away from the city. Night had fallen by this point, and music was echoing across the city. Adrios tried to take some calming breaths and let his heart stop hammering in his chest. The Game always rattled his nerves. _Give me peace and quiet and a good book any day._

“Slick!” Adrios looked up and saw Cassandra, Varric, and Solas walking towards them. Varric was holding a piece of parchment and looking excited. “We solved the riddle, and got a map to a meeting spot!”

“Let’s go then,” Adrios smiled at them all. _Killing things is better than playing The Game._

* ~ *

“We’re getting close,” Cassandra whispered as Solas shut the gate behind them.

“That’s what she said,” Adrios said under his breath, making Varric snigger. They walked forward and there was suddenly shouts all around.

“The Herald has found us!”

“At least they know who I am!” Adrios shouted with amusement, drawing his staff. Cassandra charged their lines with her shield and sword drawn, and Varric let loose a volley of arrows. Adrios didn’t even get a chance to concentrate before they were all dead. “Obviously they weren’t expecting us.”

They moved forward towards a large doorway and as soon as they stepped through, a gout of fire flew towards Adrios’ face. Adrios threw up a barrier out of reflex and the fire skittered harmlessly into the wall.

“Herald of Andraste!” The man shouted. “How much did you expend to discover me? It must have weakened the Inquisition _immeasurably_!”

“I don’t even know who you are,” Adrios said, smiling without being able to stop himself.

“You don’t fool me!” The man shouted back. “I’m too important for this to be an accident! My efforts will survive in victories against you elsewhere!”

Adrios felt another presence and turned to see an elven woman drop off nearby roof and land gracefully near them. She nocked an arrow and drew her bow back. “Just say what!” She called, a thick Fereldan accent coloring her words.

“What is the—” The noble shouted before there was a whistling and suddenly the arrow was sticking through the mans open mouth, embedded through his skull. The now-very-dead noble collapsed to the ground.

The woman made a noise of disgust and walked over to the man. “Squishy one, but you heard me right? ‘Just say what!’ Rich tits always try for more than they deserve.” She crouched down and pulled the arrow out of the corpse. “Blah, blah, blah! Obey me! Arrow in my face!” She straightened up and smirked at Adrios. “So, you follow the notes well enough. Glad to see you’re…” She took in Adrios’ staff and robes. “Aaaaaand of course you’re a mage. As if there isn’t enough creepy magic in the world already.” She immediately brightened. “I mean, it’s all good innit? The important thing is, you glow?”

Silence followed her words as Adrios stared at her. “Uh…yeah. I glow. Who the hell are you?”

“Name’s Sera,” She pointed at several large crates that were in the middle of the square. “This is cover. Get ‘round it.” Adrios stared at her for a moment. “For the reinforcements,” Sera added impatiently. “But don’t worry. Someone tipped me their equipment shed.” She grinned cheekily. “They’ve got no breeches.”

Yelling came from the roads approaching their small courtyard, and Adrios turned to see about six guards charging from their adjoining road. And true to Sera’s word, they were in their smallclothes. Adrios couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he summoned his magic. A moments thought, and he raised his left hand. Veilfire arrows winked into life and they shot off like a thought towards each of the man. Cassandra, Varric, and Solas made quick work of the remaining men while Adrios’ arrows quickly killed three of them.

After the sounds of battle had died down, the courtyard was filled with the sound of Sera cackling. “Friends really came through with that tip. No breeches!” She cackled again, and turned to face Adrios, her face somewhat serious. _Which honestly is a little more unsettling than her constant laughter,_ Adrios thought nervously. “So…Herald of Andraste. You’re a strange one…I’d like to join.”

Adrios couldn’t help but laugh at this. Her serious expression made him stop quickly though. “Can we take a moment for sense to reassert itself? I have absolutely no idea what is going on.”

“Well, it’s like this,” Sera put a hand on her hip. “I sent you a note to find some stuff hidden by my friends? The Friends of Red Jenny? That’s me.” She tapped her chin briefly, looking thoughtful. “Well, I’m one. So if a fence in Montifort, some woman in Kirkwall...there were three in Starkhaven, brothers or something.” She shrugged. “It’s just a name, yeah? It lets little people—Friends—be part of something while they stick it to nobles they hate. So here—” She spread her arms wide “—in your face, I’m Sera. The Friends are sort of out there. I used them to help you. Plus arrows.”

Adrios folded his arms, his thoughts racing. _So all those stories about Red Jenny are true. I thought they must be fiction from the lower classes, since one woman couldn’t be in all these places at once. It’s…like an organized group. Interesting._ “So you’re offering spies of a sort?”

“Here’s how it is,” Sera held up her hands. “You ‘important people’ are up here, shoving your cods around. Blah, blah, blah ‘I’ll crush you’, ‘I’ll crush you’”—she made kissing noises—“’oh, crush you’”—she cleared her throat—"then you’ve got Sneaky McSneakerson over here, sneaking around. Like this twat over here, all important with his little knife.” She shrugged. “All these people, and what gave him up? Some houseboy who doesn’t know shite, but knows bad when he sees it.” She put her hands on her hips, and furrowed her brow. “So no, we aren’t all sneaky cloak-and-daggers, but if you don’t listen down here, you risk your breeches.” She cackled suddenly, looking at the bodies that were scattered around. “Like these tossers, I stole their…” She seemed to come back to herself, her brow furrowing again. “Listen, do you need people or not? I want to get everything back to normal, like you!”

Adrios stared at her. _I think she may be a little bit insane. But this…the Friends…it sounds incredibly useful._ “Sure Sera. Join us at Haven, we can use you and your Friends.”

She literally jumped for joy, beaming widely at Adrios. “Excellent! Get in good before you’re too big to like. See you at Haven, Herald— _this_ will be grand!” She skipped off, disappearing from sight down an alley.

The alley was completely silent, far off music the only sound in the stillness of the night.

“What have I just agreed to?” Adrios whispered, almost to himself.

“I dunno Slick,” Varric answered, “but I think she may be a little nuts.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally don't like Sera as a character all that much, so she won't be an extremely pivotal character. Sorry in advance if she is one of your favorites!


	7. Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Herald returns to Haven after the Val Royeaux debacle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *TRIGGER WARNING*  
> Please be warned that this chapter contains...well, some pretty terrible things. If you will be distressed reading about rape and torture, SKIP THIS CHAPTER. This chapter will be summarized the subsequent chapters, since it is going to be a fairly big deal that this occurs. 
> 
> Also be aware, much of what happens is not canon and with my own original characters.

Chapter 7 – Terror

Coming over the ridge and seeing Haven in the distance lifted an immense weight off from Adrios’ shoulders. The constant traveling for the days that it had taken to get from Haven to Val Royeaux and then immediately coming back had worn Adrios down. He had been looking forward to getting home and relaxing for a little. _I wonder when I started thinking of Haven as home…_

They descended into the valley and Adrios could see that Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine must have been notified that they were approaching because all three of them stood near the gates. They watched as they approached, and Adrios felt his cheeks begin to burn as he felt his heart leap up in his chest at the sight of Cullen. Adrios quickly tried to push the feelings down below the surface, but he wasn’t super successful.

“It’s good you’ve returned,” Josephine stepped forward, her face uncharacteristically grave. “We heard of your encounter.”

Adrios was the first to dismount, and he approached the trio of advisors. “I’m glad you were warned.”

“It’s a shame that the templars have abandoned their senses as well as the capital,” Cullen said in an almost bored tone, crossing his arms as Cassandra joined them. Adrios nodded to Solas and Varric, who were both still taking care of their horses, and followed the advisors and Cassandra towards the Chantry.

“At least we know how to approach the mages and the templars now,” Adrios said brightly, making Cullen laugh quietly. “And we recruited Red Jenny and Madame de Fer to our cause.” Silence followed his words, and he glanced around to see both Josephine and Leliana exchanging a look. “That’s good, yes?”

“Very,” Josephine responded promptly. “The Imperial Enchantress is a very powerful mage, and well suited to court life. She will be invaluable to our services.”

“And Red Jenny will provide useful information for me,” Leliana gave a wide smile, almost like a cat looking at a mouse. “I’m quite sure of that.”

“I’m not sure if we will know how to proceed with the templars though,” Cassandra said quietly after a moment as they got nearer the Chantry. “Lord Seeker Lucius is not the man I remember.”

“He has taken the Order somewhere,” Leliana said quietly as Cullen pushed the doors wide so they could enter the Chantry, “but to do what? My reports have been…very odd.”

“We must look into it,” Cullen insisted as they walked through the Chantry. “I’m certain not everyone in the Order will support the Lord Seeker.”

“Or the Herald could go to Redcliff to meet the mages instead,” Josephine said quietly, but Cullen heard.

“You think the mage rebellion is more united? It could be ten times worse!” Cullen snapped.

“You are saying this as if we can’t do both,” Adrios interrupted, crossing his arms and stopping. Silence followed his words.

“Unite both of them?” Cullen asked slowly, staring at Adrios like he was insane.

“Why not?” Adrios asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“If the Divine could not do so, what makes you think we could?” Cassandra asked curtly.

“Did the Divine have free reign to do as she wished?” Adrios retorted, turning to face her. “Or was she limited by what the nobles and Chantry itself wanted? Did she have complete power to negotiate with the two of them as equals, without hundreds of years of hatred clouding the eyes of people?” Silence followed his words. After a few moments, he broke it. “It is a moot point, however, if we don’t try to meet with both of them.”

“True,” Leliana said, smiling at him. “We will need to investigate the templars more before we are able to go after them. I would recommend returning to the Hinterlands so that you can see about the mage rebellion, so we know more about what needs to be done.”

Adrios sighed deeply. “No rest for the wicked, I suppose.” Cassandra laughed, and Cullen smiled at him which made his knees turn to jelly. “Unless there are pressing matters, I would prefer to wait until Vivienne and Sera have arrived. Then we can move out to address these issues. I feel Vivienne especially will be useful in Redcliffe.” The three advisors looked at one another before turning back to Adrios.

“That should be fine,” Cullen said at last. “Give yourself some time to recuperate from your travels. We do have some matters to discuss in the War Room, however. If you’d join us?”

Adrios nodded. “Let me go wash up and I’ll be there in a moment.” The three advisors and Cassandra walked to the War Room, whereas Adrios turned and strode back to his cabin. It was like he had never left, clean and tidy. _Must be servants come in to clean. Good thing I didn’t leave anything naughty out._ Adrios smirked to himself and walked into the small closed off section that held an empty tub. Adrios summoned his magic and called forth water to fill the tub, and fire to heat it to a deliciously hot temperature. Adrios stripped down and soaked in the tub, scrubbing himself clean and letting the hot water soothe his body. After cleaning up, he got out and dressed in a tunic and breeches and his trusty boots.

After a moment of debate, he slid Lydia’s staff into his bag and left the bag sitting on his bed. He strode back up to the Chantry, and walked to the War Room doors. He heard raised voices, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. He pushed open the door, and saw that Cassandra and Cullen were both facing Josephine. Cullen had a spot of red on his cheeks and Cassandra looked furious. Silence fell as he walked in, however. “Did I miss something?” Adrios asked quietly, cautiously.

They were all silent before Leliana stepped forward from where she had been watching the others. “Not at all Herald,” Leliana smiled at him. “So, first thing on our agenda is a missive that we received shortly before you arrived. A man by the name of Krem delivered it, and he is part of the Bull’s Chargers. They were requesting that you come to the Storm Coast to speak with their leader, Iron Bull, to see about having them join the Inquisition.”

Adrios nodded. “Add that to the list. We can go there first, before going to the Hinterlands. It’ll just make the journey longer, but it is what it is.”

Leliana nodded and Adrios saw her glance quickly at Cullen and Josephine. Cullen was still glaring at Josephine, and Josephine was writing on her clipboard without looking up. “I also wanted to bring a concern of mine to you, Herald. Several months ago, the Grey Wardens in Fereldan vanished. I sent word to the ones in Orlais as well, but they had also disappeared.”

Adrios raised an eyebrow at her. “Is that odd? I’ve never really heard of them being very outgoing with their locations when there isn’t a Blight going on.”

“True,” Leliana conceded, “but I can typically get in touch with Nyx. The Warden-Commander of Fereldan.”

Adrios thought for a moment before the name registered. “Oh, the Hero of Fereldan? I forgot, you traveled with her during the Blight didn’t you?” Leliana inclined her head, her face a beautiful mask. “She’s vanished as well?” Leliana nodded again. “Well, that’s odd I agree.”

“Two days ago, my agents in the Hinterlands found news of a Gray Warden by the name of Blackwall. I would like to ask you to locate him when you return to the Hinterlands. He may be able to put my mind at ease with their disappearances,” Leliana said.

“Sure,” Adrios nodded. “But please call me Adrios, Leliana.” He flashed a dazzling smile at her, making her smile back.

“As you wish Adrios,” Leliana inclined her head. “Now, I just have some minor—”

“We need to discuss it with him,” Josephine spoke up, her voice hard. “Now.”

“What are you—” Adrios began, but Cullen cut him off.

“And I still say that this is wrong,” Cullen said angrily.

“Um, can you—”

“He would want to hear about it from us now, and not when it is too late,” Josephine insisted.

“You can’t ask him to do such a thing for the Inquisition!” Cullen was suddenly shouting.

Adrios clapped his hands together and summoned his magic at the same time. There was a powerful burst of sound like a gong and wind outward from Adrios, making the others stumble and papers scatter. They all looked at him in surprise, as Adrios stared at them with an irritated look on his face. “I appreciate your trying to protect me Cullen, but I would prefer you explain what you are talking about so I can make my own decisions.”

The silence was almost deafening, but Cullen turned away before Adrios could make out the expression on his face. Josephine cleared her throat. “Herald, do you remember the conversation you had with Marquis DuRellion?” Adrios nodded, raising an eyebrow at her. “Well, your conversation with him did not have the effect I had hoped it would. Quite the opposite…in fact.”

“Explain if you would, Josephine,” Adrios inclined his head towards her politely.

“He insists that we slighted him, and that he wishes us to leave Haven at once,” Josephine said quickly. “I attempted to negotiate with him, promise him future favors. He turned it all down. I finally asked if there was something that could be done to persuade him to allow us to stay, at least for a little while longer. And he…wants you.” She gave him a weak smile that Adrios did not return.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “He wants me in what way exactly?”

Cullen made a noise of displeasure. “His daughter is still unwed, and he is searching for a suitor for her. Apparently the DuRellion’s are low enough in stature that even a marriage to a social pariah would be preferable, and Josephine thinks that marrying you off is acceptable!”

“I did not say that,” Josephine said evenly, looking directly at Adrios. “I stated that you are you own man and not property of the Inquisition. I said that I would see about arranging a meeting with you, and you could address this yourself. “

Adrios shrugged. “Sure?” Everyone stared at him in shock. “What? I can meet them in person and tell them no. I won’t marry someone I don’t love, and certainly not a woman.” More silence followed his words.

“That will answer some of the rumors floating around,” Leliana finally broke the silence, giggling. Adrios couldn’t help but glance at Cullen, who was looking shocked but also…pleased? “I’m not sure what will happen if you tell them no, however.”

“Well, worst case scenario, I’ll kill them all and say it was an accident,” Adrios shrugged. “How good are you at forging signatures so they can sign over Haven to us?” Leliana smirked at him as Josephine made a strangled noise. “I’m kidding Josephine. Sort of. Where am I supposed to meet them? Here?”

“They’ve…” Josephine said quietly, looking down at her clipboard, “…insisted on waiting for you. She’s down in the basement.”

“She?” Adrios felt his eyebrows lift.

“Yes,” Josephine nodded. “Just the daughter, and apparently a body guard that the Marquis had hired. The Marquis was going to stay, but she insisted she could handle this herself.”

Adrios shrugged. “Very well. I’ll go meet with them. It shouldn’t take long, I’ll come back to rejoin the meeting once this has been addressed.”

“Thank you Herald,” Josephine said with relief in her voice. “I’ll look into what can be done once you’ve given her your denial.” Adrios nodded to them and glanced at Cullen again as he left. Cullen was inspecting something on the map, so thankfully he didn’t see the sad and wistful look on Adrios’ face.

Leliana did though.

Adrios turned and walked down the steps to the basements. _How can I tell her no without it being cruel? I guess we will have to talk a little first, so it doesn’t seem like I’m not considering the proposal?_ Adrios sighed, turning to walk farther into the dungeons. Only a few torches were lit for some reason, making it all very dark. Adrios felt a prickle of unease go through him, and he lifted his hand to create some light. The light made him blink, and as he blinked he felt something sharp in the side of his neck. He reached up and felt a small dart in his neck. Panic and fear rose in him like a tidal wave, and he opened his mouth to call for help.

Almost immediately, he felt everything losing clarity. He couldn’t summon the energy to scream, couldn’t keep his balance. He felt himself topple over to his side, and he saw boots approach him in the light he had summoned before everything was blackness.

* ~ *

“You certainly seemed very…passionate in your defense of the Herald,” Leliana said as soon as the door had shut behind Adrios.

“Yes, because I don’t think we should be trying to sell him like a piece of meat!” Cullen said hotly, his ears turning red.

“I guess it would depend on who we are selling his meat to, yes?” Leliana smirked at him.

Cullen rubbed his forehead. “Maker.”

“Glossing over that,” Cassandra said in a bored tone. “Can we discuss the troop movements and reports from your spies? Instead of Cullen’s crush on the Herald?”

Cullen spluttered. “I don’t—I would never—I can’t—”

Leliana and Josephine giggled, and even Cassandra’s lip twitched as Cullen attempted to regain control of himself.

* ~ *

Darkness pressed on Adrios on all sides. He felt trapped. _Calm._ He took a few deep breaths, and tried to make his eyes open, tried to bring himself back to consciousness. It took a huge amount of effort, but finally he felt himself surfacing back to consciousness. Before his eyes even opened, he was aware of how warm it was. His eyes finally opened, and he saw a large fireplace to his right. He then realized that he was tied to a large cross-like structure. His wrists were tied to the upper parts, with his feet dangling in the air.

Then he noticed how incredibly empty and weak he felt. Adrios tried to summon some strength to himself, and realized his mana was completely drained. Adrios felt his heartbeat speed up, and tried to move. His shoulders and back were screaming at the position they had been forced in, but try as hard as he could, he couldn’t move even an inch. Attempting to move with his mana drained made his head spin, and there was a small throbbing behind his head. Finally, he gave up and looked around.

The room he was in was completely foreign to him. Rubble had been cleared from where they were, and there were massive cobwebs several feet away. It all looked extremely ancient. _Maybe we’re in the tunnels underneath Haven? The cultists used them before the Hero of Fereldan killed them all._ Adrios let out a heavy sigh as he tried to spur his brain into thinking.

“Ah!” A female voice sounded and Adrios tried to turn to see who it was. “It seems that our guest has woken up!” Footsteps, and then a young woman walked into view. She had a pretty, heart-shaped face and brown eyes with long dark brown hair. She would have been beautiful, if not for the ugly sneer that was on her face. Footsteps approached on the other side as well, but these footsteps belonged to a tall and well-muscled man with a bald head. Looking at him made a chill run down Adrios’ spine.

“Who are you?” Adrios tried to put some steel into his voice, but the woman just laughed.

“Why, I’m Sandra DuRellion!” The woman smiled so widely Adrios could have counted her teeth. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Herald of Andraste.” She curtsied.

“What…why?” Adrios was utterly confused, staring at her and trying not to see the man that was on his other side.

“Why? Why did we fill your veins full of Magebane—” Adrios felt his blood turn to ice at the name, _No wonder my mana is all gone._ “—and drag you down into these tunnels? Why did I ask my father to insist that he attempt to force a marriage on me from you, instead of just cowing to your wishes like the coward he is?” She laughed again, this time the sound chilled Adrios down to his bones. “Because I want to make you _suffer_ , Herald of Andraste. Because I know that you are a nobody, and that the Elder One will reward me beyond measure because I’ve gotten rid of you.”

“Elder One?” Adrios asked, his heart racing. _Maybe I can get her talking, and get enough time that some of my mana regenerates finally._

Sandra made a bored motion towards the man, and he stepped forward into Adrios’ direct eyesight. He drew back and backhanded Adrios hard enough across the face that he felt a tooth fly out. Adrios gagged against the blood in his mouth, trying to keep his head from spinning. “No questions.” Sandra said quietly, her voice echoing in the stillness of the room. “Meet Samiel, my loyal bodyguard. I’m going to leave and return to my father, and say that you refused me and that we will need to evict the Inquisition from Haven. Samiel will get to stay here and play with you…” She trailed off, and Adrios noticed that there were long brands in the fire glowing a hot cherry red. Fear surged through him like he had never known. “And Samiel will play with you for quite a long time.” She giggled, such an absurd thing that Adrios felt terror clench around his heart. “I’ll see you at home Samiel. Make it last as long as you can.”

Footsteps as she walked away into the darkness. Adrios was left with the beast of a man named Samiel. “Please,” Adrios whispered to Samiel, feeling the terror become unbearable.

Samiel, who had been silent until now, laughed quietly. “Beg all you want.” His voice was quiet and cold, like silk across marble. He slapped Adrios in the face again, and this time he felt his nose break from the force of the blow. Adrios couldn’t help the scream that tore from his lips. “Scream all you want! No one will ever…hear you.” He whispered the last words, making Adrios sob.

A glint caught the firelight and Adrios was helpless to watch as Samiel sliced forward with a dagger. It sliced neatly through his clothes, nicking his chest and causing a trickle of blood to form on his chest. A whole new wave of terror surged through him, making him whimper. Samiel gave him a smile that made him sob again, and continued to cut his clothes off. Once he had cut and torn all of his clothes off, leaving him naked and hanging on the cross, he walked out of sight. Adrios could feel his breath coming in gasps, and could feel that no matter what he did, he would go insane before his mana came back to him.

A sharp, burning pain suddenly took over him and he screamed before he realized it. He looked up and saw that Samiel was shoving a long iron spike through his right hand, pinning it down into the wood. He screamed again, the most animal sound he had ever heard coming from his throat as he felt the spike pierce through and bury into the wood. Samiel repeated it on his other hand, leaving him on the verge on unconsciousness as the pain threatened to overwhelm him. Adrios heard a rustling noise and saw Samiel undoing his pants. Terror swarmed his senses again, and adrenaline briefly tamped down the pain on his hands.

He forced himself to focus as he felt Samiel’s hands on his legs, forcing them up and apart. He retreated into his mental sanctum as he felt Samiel force himself inside, feeling the new unbelievable pain in a detached way. He had never tried this before, but if it worked… _please let it work._

He had heard Belle speak about communicating to other mentally, but it was typically linked with blood magic and forbidden. The way she had mentioned involved entering the trance that she had taught him, and it was just a one way message that could be sent. He could feel the pain worsening, and he knew that he wouldn’t have much time. With all of the strength of will he could put behind it, he let out one, unbelievably long mental scream.

A slap across the face brought him out of it, brought him back to the unbelievable pain and hideous feeling of being violated. Samiel had just finished from the looks of it, smiling widely and panting a little. He removed himself from Adrios, and he felt his legs drop down weakly to the wood.

“Don’t get too comfortable now,” Samiel grabbed a red-hot poker from the fire, and grabbed his dagger again. “What should I do with these, I wonder?”

Adrios felt another sob escape his chest, terror clutching his chest like a demon.

* ~ *

“I think that wraps it all up, don’t you?” Leliana said, reviewing the pages she had.

“I wonder what is keeping Adrios,” Cullen said, rubbing his chin.

Leliana giggled a little. “Have you been paying attention at all Cullen, or just waiting for your crush to come back into the room?”

“Maybe he is having a delightful conversation with this woman,” Josephine shrugged. “Or perhaps he is tired from the trip and he went back to his cabin. Either way, I think this is all—”

“Wait,” Silence as Cullen held up a hand. “Do you hear that?”

Silence.

“No?” Leliana asked, curiously.

“Wait.” Cassandra spoke up. She hadn’t been listening to this latest bit of information, since it had revolved around the nobles of Orlais, so this is the first she had spoken in a bit. “I heard something too, Commander.”

Silence.

“Maybe we should call the—” Josephine began, looking nervous.

Cullen and Cassandra both made noises of shock and pain, dropping to their knees. An unbelievably long and drawn out scream filled their heads. A scream from a voice they both recognized. A scream from—

“Adrios!” Cullen and Cassandra both shouted at the same time. Leliana and Josephine both stared at them, alarm on their face.

“What are you—” Leliana began, looking more and more unnerved.

“A scream,” Cassandra was holding the side of her head. “I’ve never heard him scream like that before.” She looked at Cullen, and he nodded back. “We need to find him. Now.”

The door behind them banged open, and Solas and Vivienne were both there. Solas looked very serious, Vivienne had her regal smile on. “Here you all are.” Vivienne inclined her head. “However, I’m not sure if any of you heard that just now?”

“We did,” Cullen said curtly, indicating Cassandra and himself.

“As did we,” Solas nodded. “And a majority of the templars outside.”

“I was dismounting my horse in the stables,” Vivienne said, losing some of the regal air about her. “We need to find him. I have never had anyone do such a thing without resorting to blood magic, and he must be in extreme danger.”

“Leliana!” Cullen turned and looked at her. “Cassandra and I will go down into the dungeons and see what we can find. Have your men start doing sweeps of the area. Lock down Haven—no one leaves or enters until we find the Herald.” Leliana nodded and vaulted over the table, sprinting from the room. Josephine looked terrified. “Josephine, get my second-in-command, Rylen, and have him start reassuring people. We do not need a panic.” Josephine nodded, and she strode out of the room, leaving the clipboard she carried everywhere behind. Cullen turned and Cassandra nodded to him.

“We are coming too Commander,” Solas said, stepping back so he could walk by.

“If he is in that much danger, he will need our help,” Vivienne said, easily keeping pace with Cullen and Cassandra’s sprint down the stairs.

Cullen and Cassandra turned at the bottom of the stairs and ran towards the dungeons. All of the torches had been extinguished, which Solas lit with a gesture. In the center of the dungeon, where Adrios had been held by Cassandra and Leliana just a few weeks ago, was a small silver coin. Cullen stooped down and picked it up. It was a silver coin with a lion stamped on one side, and on the other was a large bird with its wings spread and an open eye on its chest. “That’s…” Cassandra spoke, her voice very even. “That’s a coin that the Herald carries with him. I believe that’s his family’s crest.” Cullen felt a chill run down his spine.

“Look around,” Cullen commanded, and he and Cassandra started unlocking the cell doors. As he went to unlock the last door on the left side of the room, he realized that the door was already ajar. He shoved it open and went into the cell, looking carefully for a clue. Finally, he noticed the barest outline of a footprint in the dust of the cell. It was only half a footprint, with the other half disappearing under the wall. He started knocking carefully on the wall, listening for an echo to show it was a false wall. Hurried footsteps made him turn, and he saw Leliana approaching with six scouts. “What are you doing here?!” Cullen asked, sharper than he intended.

Leliana gave him a very level look in return. “We are here to help.” She moved past him and examined the wall carefully. After a few moments, she reached up and removed a stone from the wall. The entire wall shuddered, and slowly began to slide to the left. A crease appeared, about three feet wide, before the shuddering stopped. Leliana motioned to Cullen. “After you.”

Cullen grabbed the torch from the wall and strode forward, going into the gap. He moved forward, sliding through the gap and seeing the walls extended out to a comfortable width. He heard a scrabbling noise and Cassandra appeared through the gap, followed quickly by Solas and Vivienne. Cullen led the way down the passage, hearing Leliana give orders to her scouts before they all followed through the gap as well. It was the remains of a hallway, from what Cullen could tell. It was in ruins, but the craftsmanship was plain.

“This looks like the Temple of the Sacred Ashes did,” Leliana spoke up from behind them, her voice echoing slightly. “It must have been something that the cultists used.” Cullen would have been concerned about the hallway that he didn’t know about that led straight into their stronghold, but right now he was only concerned with Adrios. They walked down the hallway, which lead through a few ruined doorways into longer corridors. Finally, they reached a crossroads.

“This way,” Cullen said suddenly, feeling a strong urge to go to the right.

“Why that way?” Leliana asked, moving forward from where she was standing with her scouts.

“Because it…feels right,” Cullen said, unsure why that was the case but knowing it was. His expression was hard as he stared at Leliana, and she stared back at him for a moment, before nodding and moving away.

“Lead on, Commander,” Leliana said with a slight smile. Cullen stared at her for a moment, and strode down the hall with the torch held at the ready. No one else spoke, but the more than Cullen walked down this way, the more sure he felt of his decision.

“Commander,” Leliana was suddenly beside him, her bow drawn. She spoke in a whisper and held up a hand. The party stopped in place and the silence permeated everything. But then there was…

“Is that grunting?” Cullen asked quietly, and Leliana turned to look at him. Her eyes were steel, and Cullen had only seen that expression a few times. It was never a good sign. Cullen felt his blood run cold, and he shoved the torch towards Cassandra as he broke into a sprint. There was a closed door farther down the hall, with a flickering light showing underneath the door. Cullen sprinted to the door and lowered his shoulder towards the doorframe as he got closer.

He plowed through the door like it was paper, a mighty crash resounding throughout the room.

It was a moderately small room, with a flickering fireplace on one side of the room. There was a wooden beam in the middle of the room by the fireplace with another wood beam on the top of the other beam. There was a table in the corner closest to the door, filled with objects that Cullen didn’t care to look too closely at. There was...

_Is that him?_ Cullen felt his heart sink down past his stomach and settle near his knees. A man was straightening up from what looked like a pile of meat on the floor.

But it wasn’t a pile of meat.

“Adrios,” Cullen whispered as the body twitched. The man that had straightened up was staring at the party in alarm. Cullen heard some words spoken behind him, and the scouts and Leliana moved to surround the man, swords held to the man’s throat. Cullen felt his knees hit the floor. He had moved so he was beside the body on the floor without him realizing it.

There was no untouched piece of skin on him. Deep gashes, shallow gashes, incredibly dark bruises. The body was naked, and Cullen could smell burnt flesh as he saw spots where the body had been branded. And…Cullen felt his stomach turn as he saw a metal rod, glowing a faint orange as it cooled, protruding from the bodies backside. The world snapped back into view as rage filled Cullen. More rage than he thought possible.

“Get. Him. Out of here,” Cullen snarled at Leliana, who was currently attempted to question the man. Leliana turned and saw Cullen’s face, and he saw her eyes widen. “Or I will kill him myself!” Cullen bellowed the words at her. He didn’t hear what she said, but there were footsteps leaving the chamber as Cullen looked back down at the body. One single green eye had opened, the other eye socket being a ruined mess. Cullen saw a tear shining as it trickled through the blood, clearing a path of Adrios’ cream-colored skin.

“C…” A voice rasped and Cullen was barely aware of Vivienne and Solas moving around him. “C…Cullen…” The ruined portion of his face that had been his mouth twitched into a smile before the eye closed.


	8. Enter the Magister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovery begins, and the party travels to the Hinterlands to investigate the mage rebellion.

Chapter 8 – Enter the Magister

_Knock, knock._

Adrios glanced up from the book on his lap when he heard the knocking. “Come in.” His voice was still raw, but it was significantly better than it had been when he had been rescued yesterday. The door opened slowly and Adrios watched Cullen walk in. He felt his mouth lift into a tiny smile of its own accord, and he closed the book on his lap as Cullen shut the door behind him. “Why hello there Commander.” Adrios tries to form a cheery smile but he didn’t have the energy in him. He felt his bandaged hands tremble slightly as he put the book on his bedside table and he straightened up in the bed. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Shouldn’t you be out drilling the troops?”

Cullen frowned at him. “I’m here to check on you.”

Adrios felt himself smile for real. “You checked up on me a couple bells ago.” Adrios watched Cullen’s cheek color.

“Yes but I’m concerned about your well-being,” He sat on the chair that was next to his bed. Cullen clasped his hands together in his lap, and Adrios reached out to touch his hands.

“I appreciate it, but you don’t need to stop the Inquisition on my behalf,” Adrios said quietly. Cullen looked up at him and saw Adrios giving him a small smile. “Now that I have my mana back, I’m able to heal myself. Thanks to Vivienne and Solas’ quick actions, my eye has been restored and my hands will be back to normal within another day. I’ll be back up in no time.”

“Your body may be,” Cullen said, the words coming out before he could stop them. He took Adrios’ hand in his gently. “But your mind won’t bounce back as quickly.” Adrios didn’t say anything, looking down at his lap. “I…never told anyone this. But when the Circle in Fereldan fell during the Blight, I was the only templar left alive inside the Harrowing chamber. They tried to break me. Over and over, for days and days. Abominations have a…” Cullen could feel chills as he spoke about it, could feel the claws on him again, _inside_ him, “…creative mind for torture.”

“Cullen,” Adrios said quietly.

“I will not let this happen to you ever again, Adrios,” Cullen said firmly, cutting off Adrios. “And I am telling you this so you know you are not alone. I will always be here for you, if you need it.” Adrios was silent for a moment before looking up at Cullen. Cullen could see his eyes shining a little as he blinked rapidly.

“Thank you Cullen,” Adrios leaned forward and kissed Cullen gently on the cheek. He lay back against his pillows before Cullen could react, and he looked outside the window that was near his bed. Cullen felt his cheeks burn, and he was frozen. “This isn’t quite how I wanted to rest and relax.” Adrios said, turning back with a smile. “But I think I’ll close my eyes for a bit. I want to say again Cullen…thank you for coming to my rescue.” Adrios smiled and closed his eyes slowly. Cullen watched him drift off, and realized he was still holding his hands in his.

Cullen slowly placed Adrios’ hands in his lap and stood and left the cabin quietly. _That man should be thankful that Leliana removed him from my sight._ Cullen thought darkly, as he walked up the slope towards the Chantry. The fourth bell past midday had rang a little bit ago, and the sun was slowly setting in the sky. Cullen walked up the slope and suddenly heard his name called. He glanced up and saw Varric beckoning him closer to his tent. Cullen walked over towards him.

“Curly!” Cullen felt his lips quirk slightly at his nickname. “How’s Slick doing?”

“He’s…improving,” Cullen said slowly.

“I was going to go down and see if he wanted to get some rounds of Wicked Grace in,” Varric stroked his chin. “Or perhaps get his insight on my new book. How are you holding up Curly?”

Cullen’s brow furrowed. “Why would I not be holding up?”

Varric stared at him like he was slow. “Because you found the person you love being tortured?”

Cullen felt his cheeks color. “Why does everyone keep saying that!?”

Varric smirked at him. “Are you saying that you aren’t in love with Slick?”

Cullen felt his ears burn and he scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I. Um. You.”

“Continue on, Commander Curly,” Varric laughed, bowing towards him. Cullen turned and started to walk away, scratching the back of his neck as he felt his ears continue to glow. “Just—” Varric called after him after a moment, “—don’t wait too long, or it will be too late!” Cullen didn’t stop, just continued up the path. He felt his heart thudding in his chest. _I…is this what this feeling is? It’s been…so long since I felt anything close to this. I never would have imagined it would be towards a man, but…maybe…_

He let the thoughts trail off as he walked into the Chantry. Mother Giselle was approaching the doors as he was about to let them close, and Cullen hurried to hold one open for the Mother. “Good afternoon Commander.” Her voice was a calming influence as always.

“Hello Revered Mother,” Cullen inclined his head. “Heading to the Infirmary?”

“Not this time,” Mother Giselle smiled at him. “Going to change the Herald’s bandages before darkness comes.” Cullen felt a pang inside him, and Mother Giselle seemed to notice. She stopped and touched his shoulder gently. “Do not worry. He is a strong soul.” She walked out into the night, humming a piece of the chant to herself.

Cullen gritted his teeth and continued towards the War Room. He opened the door and saw that Leliana, Josephine, and Cassandra were already there. “Apologies for the wait,” Cullen said, moving in and standing in his usual spot. It was silent for a moment.

“How is he?” Josephine asked quietly.

“He has his normal spunk,” Cullen gave a lopsided smile to her, and he saw her brighten a little. “He expects to be up and about soon.”

“Good,” Cassandra said gruffly, but Cullen remembered how she had reacted in the tunnels beneath Haven. _I hadn’t thought she could still cry before then._

“So what is the news today?” Cullen asked, moving forward and banishing thoughts from his head.

* ~ *

Adrios was sitting in his room at Fort Connor. With their absence and the templar and mage camps shut down, the soldiers in the Hinterlands had cleaned up the area quite a bit. There were still the bandit raids to be dealt with, and Adrios hadn’t forgotten that he needed to go find the Warden. But the ride from the Storm Coast to the Hinterlands had drained him more than he had expected, so they had decided to stop for the day. He remembered meeting Iron Bull, and how Bull had laughed when he had swore in Qun when he had been hit by a stray arrow that had just barely glanced off his barrier.

He had sent their company back to Haven, and Iron Bull had opted to join them to help them settle in. Vivienne, Solas, Varric, and Cassandra had accompanied him to the Hinterlands. Even though she was the picture of elegance, Vivienne hadn’t complained at all during their long trip and had been chatting with Varric and Cassandra as if they had been traveling together in a comfortable carriage. _I know they’ve noticed that I’ve been quieter than normal. I’ve been trying, but…it’s like my mind is just…exhausted._

He lay straightened up from where he was leaning against the wall. He looked at his palms and their fading scars. _At least the trembling had stopped._ The sight of Cullen watching their party leave Haven two days ago suddenly came to mind, the obvious worry that had creased his brow. He flashed back to the conversation they had had while he was in bed recuperating. _Is it too much to hope that he…no. I need to put that thought from my mind. I’m sure it’s just…wishful thinking._

Adrios turned and left his room, walking towards the courtyard. They had finished their repairs to the keep during their absence. The courtyard was now a center for training, and they had supposedly made room in the lower levels for villagers to stay if needed. However, with the area being rapidly stabilized by the Inquisition, they haven’t had any recent attacks in the village. Adrios saw the early sunlight bathing the countryside and the beauty of it took his breath away. He could see why the people here were so reluctant to leave their homes.

He saw Cassandra and Varric sitting around a campfire and moved to join them. They turned at his footsteps, seeing that he had donned his armor from Harritt for the first time since his kidnapping. They didn’t say anything to him, just smiled and welcomed him as he sat down. “Today we will make for Redcliffe?” Adrios finally broke the silence, and Cassandra nodded.

“The reports say that the rifts near to Redcliffe have been exhibiting…strange properties,” Cassandra said, folding her arms.

“Oh?” Adrios asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They seemed to bend time around them,” Cassandra said after a moment. Adrios stared at her.

“Time magic isn’t possible,” Adrios said after a moment, his brow furrowed. “It’s not possible for a mage to control time. Just like it’s not possible for weather or teleportation magic. Not even the most powerful blood mages.”

Cassandra shrugged. “I’m well aware Herald. I’m just repeating what the reports have said.” Adrios rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. Suddenly, he heard Varric chuckling.

“You both do that,” Varric chuckled, watching Adrios scratch the back of his neck.

“Who?” Adrios asked curiously.

“Curly,” Varric laughed openly now. Adrios felt his cheeks redden. “You two ought to just bone and get it over with.” Adrios felt his entire face burn now, and Cassandra sighed heavily but Adrios could see her lips quirking.

“Anyway!” Adrios cleared his throat, trying to ignore Varric’s chuckles. “Once Solas and Vivienne are awake, we can make for the city.”

“And here we are darling,” Vivienne’s voice came from behind him, and they turned to see Solas and Vivienne approaching. Vivienne and Solas had been quite cool to one another, but they weren’t overly hostile towards one another. _Which is a blessing._ Adrios stood up, trying to ignore his still flaming cheeks. _Since I would bet quite a bit of gold that Sera and Vivienne will not get along at all._ They walked along the path out of the Fort Connor, the portcullis shutting behind them. As they walked, Adrios looked at his map of the Hinterlands. It was heavily notated in Adrios’ elegant handwriting, showing spots that he had been able to investigate personally and spots that others had investigated for him. There were marks showing where bandit camps were and where Corporal Vale thought that their headquarters were, and marks that showed where rifts were. He had closed several on his first trip here, and Corporal Vale had made marks showing where they had discovered new rifts since he had been here. _I really need to go and close rifts once we finish with Redcliffe._ Adrios bit his lip, but he had discussed with Cassandra on their way here that they would go to Redcliffe first and then investigate the Warden’s. _I guess I’ll do the rifts once we clear out Redcliffe. I hate thinking that people are getting hurt because we need to do this diplomatic shit but…_

Adrios realized that they had moved quite a bit while he had been stuck in his thoughts. They were passing through abandoned farmland and moving along a road that had definitely seen better days. _This war has decimated Redcliffe and the Hinterlands._ Adrios felt his stomach twist as he saw the some skeletons by the side of the road, and he felt the tiredness all over again. _Can I really do that much good? Enough good to warrant all of this evil that has been going on?_ Adrios sighed, and tried to rally his spirits.

“We are getting close to the gates,” Cassandra said quietly. Adrios unsheathed his staff and tried to focus. _I hate how rattled how I feel._ Adrios could feel the despair lurking at the edges of his mind, and he tried to push it further away.

“I want a constant watch on that damn thing!” A voice rang out and Adrios straightened up, startled out of his thoughts. “Notify me the instant something changes!” Hurried footsteps coming towards them, and Adrios noticed that Cassandra was suddenly standing in front of him. Adrios had a second of feeling touched that she was so concerned about him, before a soldier came into few. She was running towards an abandoned house that they had just passed, and she stopped in her tracks when she saw them. “Herald!” She shouted, running up to them. “Thank the Maker you’re here, there is a rift right outside of the gates of Redcliffe. They have their portcullis up, but the shades that the rift is spawning could very easily overwhelm the mages. Can you close this rift?”

Adrios nodded, a smile coming easily to his lips. He looked over his shoulder at Varric, Vivienne, and Solas. They all nodded to him, drawing their weapons. “Let’s go Cassandra.” Cassandra took the lead, Vivienne putting up a barrier. _I really need to discuss her technique with her,_ Adrios thought as the barrier formed over them. _Her barriers are incredible._ They moved forward together towards the large city walls they could see as they crested the hill. A tear in the sky was visible just in front of the gates, an angry green mark flaring to life as they got closer. It flashed angrily and Adrios saw rifts appear on the ground to summon shades.

Vivienne and Solas both channeled spells, frost and lightning respectively. They cut down several shades before they had even fully formed, with Varric taking the chance to launch a bolt at a frozen shade to cause it to shatter explosively. Cassandra kept their attention, deftly blocking attacks from the shades. Adrios created icicles several feet long in midair and shot them at shades. Several missed, but the ones that hit speared and instantly killed them.

After killing about twelve, there was an ominous rumbling from the rift. “Be ready!” Adrios shouted, sending a surge of regenerative magic out to the others. “Another wave comes!”

As he spoke, a shriek rose from a larger pool of energy. A terror demon rose, shrieking at them and moving to slash Cassandra. She deftly blocked it, and Adrios held up his hands towards the sky. A orb of swirling blue formed in his hand, and he quickly launched it at the terror demon. It collided in the terror demons chest, and it froze instantly. Adrios summoned more mana and threw force energy at the now frozen demon, causing it to snap into pieces. Adrios felt the eyes of the others on him as he waited for the reinforcements from the Fade.

Nothing came. Just the crackling of the Fade rift. Adrios shrugged at the others, and walked forward to close the rift. As he did, there was an odd sensation across him.

“He……rr…ald?” Adrios turned and saw Cassandra was talking to him, but she sounded as if she was underwater and talking extremely slowly. Adrios felt his brow furrow, and he looked at the others. He saw Vivienne approaching him, but she was moving at the speed of a snail.

“Wh…a….t…is…th…is?” Adrios turned again and saw Solas watching, he was much closer to him but also talking as if he were underwater. Adrios looked at the ground and saw there was a poisonous looking green outline on the ground in the shape of a circle. He had unknowingly stepped inside the circle as he had walked. He walked over and stepped gingerly out of the circle, careful not to step on the lines. As soon as he stepped out of the ground, everything was back to normal.

“Did that circle change the speed of time?” Solas asked sharply, and Adrios shook his head a little like he was clearing water from his ears.

“Yes,” Adrios said simply, crouching down to examine the circle. It shimmered ominously, the same green as the Breach. “I would imagine it has something to do with the Breach. The question is whether it is by chance, or if this was caused by someone.” He straightened up, and turned back to the still crackling rift. He raised his hand and felt the mark on his hand tether to it instantly, almost hungrily. As always, there was a slight twinge of pain accompanying the connection and he grit his teeth against it. The tether wavered and he watched the rift knit itself together like a wound. Finally, with a noise like a crashing wave, it sealed shut. Adrios watched the circle on the ground wink out like a snuffed candle. “Very interesting.”

Adrios walked forward, leading the way towards the gates. “The Herald sealed the rift! Maker have mercy, it’s over! Open the gate!” A voice called out from inside, and the portcullis rattled before raising out of sight. Adrios continued forward, and by the time he reached the gates it had raised out of sight so he could pass through into the city. The minute he passed fully through the archway, a figure stepped out of the shadows to his right. Adrios jumped, but thankfully resisted the urge to scream. A man stepped very close to Adrios and his party, and Adrios recognized the dark leather armors of Leliana’s men.

“We spread word that the Inquisition was coming Herald,” The scout said quietly. “But you should know that no one here was expecting us.”

Adrios furrowed his brow. “Not even the Grand Enchanter?”

The scout shook his head slightly. “If she was, she hasn’t told anyone.” There was a pause as Adrios felt his hands clench into fists. “We’ve arranged the use of the tavern for the negotiations.” Adrios blinked, and realize—in a sudden rush of insight—exactly how much the scouts and soldiers that Adrios passed by did for him on a daily basis.

“Thank you,” Adrios said, with as much sincerity as he could put into those two words. The scout seemed a little taken aback at the emotion in his voice, but he nodded all the same to him. And then the scout took a step back, and seemed to almost melt into the shadows of the wall. _Fascinating,_ Adrios stared in wonder. _I wonder exactly how that is accomplished…_

“Agents of the Inquisition!” A voice called from the road leading down into the town. Adrios turned and saw a man in brown robes sprinting towards him. He stopped a few feet away, panting from the sudden run. “My…apologies!” He wheezed, clutching a stitch in his side. “Magister…Alexius is in charge…now, but he hasn’t yet arrived.” He swallowed, taking a deep breath to try and gain his composure back. “He’s expected shortly. You can speak with the former Grand Enchanter in the meantime though.” He smiled at Adrios in what he probably hoped was a diplomatic gesture, but it looked terribly forced. Adrios didn’t miss the way his eyes darted around, and he quickly scurried back down the road into town.

“Wait,” Adrios said after a moment of processing the mages words. “Did he say ‘Magister’?”

“And what did he mean by ‘Former Grand Enchanter’?” Cassandra asked, her voice sharp.

“Something strange is happening here,” Adrios said, his voice firm and he looked cautiously around. “Everyone, stay on your guard.” He strode into the city, using the skills he had practices for the court at Halamshiral. Back straight, head held high. He heard murmurs around them as he walked.

“Did you hear the Inquisition cleared out all those rogue templars?”

“I heard the roads to Redcliffe were filled with corpses…”

“Is it because we walled ourselves up? If we had let them in…”

Adrios didn’t let his facial expression changed from his determined looking smile, but he thought over the words he had heard. _Maybe I can convince people to join us, even if we don’t convince the leaders._ They walked down the road leading into the village in silence, and Adrios saw an impressive looking windmill rising from a disused road leading off and up the hill. It was in disrepair and falling in, but he remembered reading about the windmill being where the Hero of Fereldan had held back a line of the undead that had rose to attack Redcliffe. He turned, leading the way down past another wall and into the village proper. He walked around the gathered people, ignoring the murmuring and whispering people.

They walked up a set of steps towards a raised platform where the Gull and Lantern was. Adrios looked around cautiously before he continued up towards the door. They walked inside and the chatter of the tavern died away instantly. Adrios glanced around as the others walked in. There were dozens of people staring his way, but he noticed an Inquisition scout waiting to catch his eye. The scout nodded to him and moved out of sight. Adrios walked forward towards a set of raised tables, and he saw the familiar blue robes again.

“Grand Enchanter Fiona,” Adrios inclined his head towards her, stopping a few feet away from her.

“Agents of the Inquisit—” Fiona started before she took a proper look at the party in front of her. “Adrios Trevelyan.” She seemed a little stunned.

“I’m glad you remember me, Grand Enchanter,” Adrios said, a thin smile on his face.

“And First Enchanter Vivienne,” Fiona inclined her heard towards her as well.

“My dear Fiona!” Vivienne’s voice was loud and full of charm. “It’s been so long since we last spoke.” She stepped a little closer, standing a little closer than the others. “You look dreadful! Are you sleeping well?” The final words had a bit of an edge to them, but Vivienne’s face was still her charming mask.

Fiona ignored her, and turned back to Adrios. “What has brought you to Redcliffe?”

Adrios stared at her for a moment, before one eyebrow cocked towards her. “Is this a trick question? We came because you invited us in Val Royeau last week.”

Fiona stared at him, confusion plain on her face. “You must be mistaken. I haven’t been to Val Royeaux since before the Conclave.”

There was a pause where Adrios exchanged a look of confusion with the others. “If it was not you Grand Enchanter,” Cassandra said after a moment, “it was someone who looked and sounded precisely like you.”

Fiona folded her arms and rubbed her chin thoughtfully with her left hand. “Exactly like me…I suppose it could be magic at work but why would anyone…” She shook her head and looked back to the party. “Whoever…or whatever brought you here, the situation has changed.” She took a deep breath before looking back to them. “The free mages have already…pledged themselves to the service of the Tevinter Imperium.”

The silence following these words—for the others in the tavern were plainly listening and no longer talked among each other—was deafening. “Fiona…” Vivienne said after a moment, her voice like acid. “Your dementia is showing.”

“I’m trying to think of a more terrible decision you could have made,” Varric said, his voice tired, “and I’ve got nothing.”

“The Tevinter Imperium,” Adrios’ voice was even and he stared at Fiona. “You pledged the free mages to the Imperium.” He stepped forward until he was close enough to Fiona to touch her. “After everything that we sacrificed, after everything we tried to accomplish.” He stared at her, feeling his eyes turn steely. “I never expected you to be so weak, Fiona.” He whispered the last sentence, and he saw her blanche.

“As…one indentured to a magister,” She looked back up, resignation in her eyes, “I no longer have the authority to negotiate with you.” She sighed deeply. “All hope of peace died with Justinia. This…bargain would not have been my first choice, but we had no choice.” Her hands clenched into fists. “We are losing this war. I had to save as many of my people as I could.”

The door slammed shut and Adrios whirled around. A tall man in ornate red robes stepped through, followed by a man in yellow robes of the same style. “Welcome my friends!” He beamed at the party, and Adrios felt a prickle of unease. “I apologize for not greeting you earlier.”

“Agents of the Inquisition,” Fiona’s voice was back to its normal collected tone, “allow me to introduce Magister Gereon Alexius.”

Alexius stepped forward and came between where Fiona was standing and Adrios. Adrios didn’t allow his expression to change, but he saw the defeat in Fiona’s eyes. “The southern mages are under my command. And you are the survivor, yes?” Alexius stared intently at Adrios with an almost hungry expression on his face. “The one from the Fade? Interesting…”

“Yes,” Adrios replied with a courtly bow. “My name is Adrios Trevelyan of the Inquisition. May I ask for more information regarding this…alliance?”

“Certainly,” Alexius nodded to him, an easy smile on his face that did nothing to alleviate the niggling sense of unease. “What specifically would you like to know?”

“The Grand Enchanter said that she was ‘indentured to a magister’,” Adrios asked, keeping his voice level. “What precisely does that mean?”

“Our southern brethren have no legal status in the Imperium,” Alexius replied, crossing his arms. “As they were not born citizens of Tevinter, they must work for a period of ten years before gaining full rights. As their protector, I will oversee their work for the Imperium.” He gave another easy smile to Adrios, which only made Adrios’ brow furrow.

“What does the Imperium gain by taking the southern rebel mages under its wing?” Adrios asked, still trying to keep his voice level as his heart raced.

“For the moment, the southern mages are a considerable expense,” Alexius conceded, nodding his head towards Adrios. “You are correct on that. After they are properly trained however, they will join our legion.”

There was a silence after these words, and Adrios saw Fiona’s back straighten as she looked at Alexius with outrage on her face. “You said not all of my people would be military!” Her voice cracked like a whip, and Adrios saw Alexius turn to look at her with an amused expression on his face. “There are children, those not suited—”

“And one day, I’m sure they will all be productive citizens of the Imperium,” Alexius replied in an even tone. “When their debts are paid.”

There was a silence as Adrios watched Fiona’s internal struggle, and she finally seemed to relent as her shoulders drooped and she seemed to resign herself. Adrios pursed his lips. “I must admit, I am curious on the details of when, exactly, this deal was negotiated.”

Alexius turned back to face Adrios, all smiles and charm again. “When the Conclave was destroyed, these poor souls faced the brutality of the templars, who rushed to attack them.” He had what almost looked like a loving expression on his face, but it looked more a leer to Adrios. “It could only be through divine providence that I arrived when I did.”

Fiona’s face was like a mask now. “It was certainly…very timely,” She conceded, looking away from all of them.

“So far, I have only seen the mages in the village,” Adrios continued, staring at Alexius. “Where is the Arl of Redcliffe? Where are his men?”

“The Arl of Redcliffe left the village,” Alexius said simply.

Adrios and Cassandra exchanged a look briefly. “Arl Teagan did not abandon his lands during the Blight.” Cassandra said in her even tone. “Nor did he abandon his lands when they were under siege. But, he willingly left his lands now?”

Adrios saw irritation flash across Alexius’ face briefly, but it was gone barely before it had registered on his face. “There were…tensions.” Alexius smiled again, but this time Adrios frowned at him. “I did not want an incident.”

“Thank you, Magister,” Adrios gave another courtly bow, but this time keeping his head raised and his eyes locked with Alexius’. “If you are leading the mages now, then let us sit down and negotiate this. I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.” Alexius beamed at him—seeming to ignore Adrios’ grim expression—and waved a hand towards a table that had been cleared near the wall of the tavern. Adrios walked over and sat down on it, feeling Cassandra follow and stand very close to his back. Adrios suppressed an amused expression when Alexius sat across from him and seemed to realize exactly who Cassandra was.

“It is always a pleasure to meet a reasonable man,” Alexius recovered quickly, continuing to beam at Adrios. Adrios, however, saw Fiona standing where she had been standing originally. She had the same expression as a dog that had been kicked too many times, but Adrios hardened his heart and turned back to Alexius. _One snake at a time, Adrios._ “Felix, will you send for a scribe?” Alexius turned and motioned towards the man in yellow robes. “Ah, pardon my manners. My son, Felix Alexius, my friends.” He motioned and Adrios inclined his head towards him politely. Felix, however, had a very fierce look in his eye and held Adrios’ gaze for much longer than needed. Adrios did not react, but he felt a bubble of curiosity in his chest. Felix turned after a moment and walked over to the door leading outside and ducked out, coming back within a few minutes. After he had returned, Alexius turned back to Adrios and his expression was still just as amiable. “I am not surprised you are here. Containing the Breach is not a feat that many could even attempt.” A look of hunger flashed across his face briefly, making the hair on Adrios’ neck raise. “It speaks to your character and power that you were able to.” Back to his beaming smile. “There is no telling how many mages would be needed for such an endeavor…ambitious, indeed.”

“Well, when you’re fighting a massive tear in the sky, you can hardly afford to think small,” Adrios felt the response come to his lips automatically, the gentle smile he normally wore back on his face. _I’ve always been good at playing the diplomacy game._

Alexius continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “There will have to be—"

There was a clatter. Adrios and Alexius both turned at the same time to see Felix stumble where he was standing. Adrios stood quickly and moved to his side. “Felix? Are you injured?” He reached out with his right hand, feeling with his magic. _There is…something there. Like…a poison?_ Felix stumbled again before Adrios could finish examining, and Adrios saw the intentional way Felix made himself stumble and fall towards him. Adrios caught him, keeping him from hitting the ground. He felt Felix force a piece of parchment into his hand and Adrios quickly hid it as he helped Felix back to his feet.

“Felix!” Alexius shouted, and Adrios moved away so Alexius could move forward to examine his son.

“My Lord,” Felix said to Adrios, keeping his eyes fixed on his father. “I’m so sorry…please forgive me.”

“Are you all right?” Alexius took Felix’s hands in his.

“I’m fine, Father,” Felix kept his voice even, and did not look away from his father.

“Come, I’ll get your powders,” Alexius’ voice was full of panic and he gripped Felix under the shoulder. “Please excuse me, friends. We will have to continue this another time.” Felix finally looked over his shoulder as Alexius led him towards the door. He looked directly at Adrios and Adrios saw the determination in his face. “Fiona, I require your assistance back at the castle.”

“I don’t mean to trouble everyone,” Felix’s voice was calm, betraying nothing of the look he just gave to Adrios.

“I shall send word to the Inquisition,” Alexius paused at the door, holding it open for Fiona to go before them. He looked at Adrios and bowed slightly before pulling Felix through the door with him. “We will conclude this at a later date.” The door slammed behind them, and slowly chatter began around them all again.

Adrios cleared his throat, making the others look at him. He opened his hand and showed them the parchment. He unfolded it and read it aloud in a very low voice, barely able to be heard over the chatter, “You are in danger. Come to the Chantry.” Adrios crumbled the paper in his fist and he sent a spark to it, causing it to smoke and burn in his palm.

“Ooh, very mysterious,” Varric said, his voice full of mischievous cheer.

Adrios shrugged at him. “We’ll be careful, but we need to figure out what’s going on.” Adrios went to leave when he saw a familiar face nearby. He stopped and walked over to her. “Wait. Linnea?”

The woman turned to face him, a sneer on her face. “Oh. I remember you. Adrios. You were a few years ahead of me.”

“How did you come to be here?” Adrios furrowed his brow in confusion. “Why aren’t you in Ostwick?”

She laughed, her voice full of cruelty. “Why would I stay with those cowards? I came to help the rebels so we can be free.” Adrios stared at her. _She is so different than she was…what changed?_ “But what could you understand about this? You were always a favorite of the First Enchanter, you were always so much better than the rest of us. And now, here you are…ordering the Chantry around.” She sneered at him. “Must be nice, to be so blessed in life.”

Adrios stared at her, shaking his head slightly. “Hatred and envy will not get you anywhere in life, Linnea.” Adrios said coldly. He turned from her, and walked away from her. He opened the door and strode outside, breathing heavily. The others joined him after a moment, and he looked out onto Lake Callenhad. The waters could be heard, even from here, and he let the sight and sound soothe him. Adrios finally turned to face them and saw the six of them standing with him.

_Wait. Six?_ Adrios scanned them and saw there was an unfamiliar man standing quietly with them. Adrios stared at him, and the man looked calmly back at him. “A moment, if you can spare it sir.” The others jumped, and moved away from the man.

Adrios suppressed a smirk. “What can I do for you ser?”

“My name is Clemence,” He bowed. “Magister Alexius does not wish for us to remain in Redcliffe.”

Silence followed his words as Adrios looked at him expectantly. When he didn’t say anything, Adrios couldn’t help the smile on his face. “Why would he not approve of you?”

“He does not like to be reminded of what mages can become,” Clemence replied in his even tone. “Many villagers have already left to escape his ire. And we who remain are slowly being killed.”

“You’re a Tranquil,” Adrios said, comprehension dawning on his face. Clemence nodded. Adrios nodded slowly, suddenly understanding what he was trying to communicate. “Wait, you said you are being killed?” Clemence handed him a tone without word and Adrios opened it curiously to a marked page. He read it quickly and he felt the color fade from his face. He read in a toneless voice, “ _There must be more Tranquil in the area—the rebels abandoned most of them when they fled their Circles. Included are instructions to create the Ocularum, and remember—the skull will only attune properly if the Tranquil is in close proximity to one of the shards when the demon is forced to possess him. Even then, the blow must be delivered immediately. The Oculara produced from Tranquil killed even minutes later failed to illuminate the shards when used._ ” He closed the book with a snap, feeling sick to his stomach.

Silence stretched out between them all. Finally Vivienne spoke, and her voice shook with anger. “I thought they were safe with the rebels. I see now I was mistaken.”

Adrios cleared his throat. “Clemence, stay here.” He motioned for the others to wait as well, and we walked over to an Inquisition soldier that was standing by one of their banners.

The soldier looked to see who approached, and Adrios saw him blanche slightly. “Yes Herald?”

“Can you come with me ser?” Adrios asked quietly. The soldier bobbed his head and followed as Adrios back to the party. Clemence, of course, did not react but he saw Cassandra raise an eyebrow at him. “Ser, this is Clemence. He is a Tranquil. I want you to protect him.” The soldier saluted him, and Adrios turned to Clemence. “Clemence, I want you to go to all the Tranquil still in the village. Ask that they come with you, and I want you to go to Fort Connor and have a squadron escort you back to Haven.”

Clemence bowed to him. “Thank you. It is good to think that while you still live, you can useful. We Tranquil will be glad to be of service to the Inquisition.”

“Ser,” Adrios said quietly, and the soldier turned to him again. “Ask the other soldiers in the city to do this. Spread the word that I was the one who asked you to do this, and if any question your orders tell them to bring their concerns to me directly. Any mages that seem like they are questioning this regime, tell them to flee as quietly as they can. They are welcome to join the Inquisition. I will ask Corporal Vale to slowly bring more soldiers into Redcliffe.” The soldier nodded again, and followed Clemence’s quickly retreating back.

Adrios turned back to the party, and nodded to them. They walked on towards the Chantry, which was up against the hill of Redcliffe. As they neared, Adrios saw a Revered Mother and the mage in brown robes from before standing together. Adrios heard them singing the chant together, and Adrios smiled slightly as he passed. They got to the doors of the Chantry, and Adrios looked at the others briefly. Solas looked the same as always, his face an even mask. Vivienne held her same regal air, Varric looked excited. Cassandra seemed to steel herself and nodded to Adrios. Adrios pushed the doors wide and walked inside.

The inside of the Chantry was dim, and Adrios’ eyes took a moment to adjust. As they did, he saw the sickly green of the rifts. A tall man with olive skin and an impressive mustache was defeating a shade in a blast of fire. He turned as the doors shut behind the party. “You’re finally here!” The man called, placing a hand on his hip. “Now help me close this thing, will you?”

Adrios drew his staff with a fluid movement and he heard the others around him do the same. Shades and wraiths formed from the rift, and the air was filled with ringing steel and the flash of spells as Vivienne and Cassandra charged forward. Adrios noticed the same faint green outlines of the time manipulation as before, and he aimed a bolt of lightning at a shade moving to swing at Cassandra’s unprotected back. The bolt caught the shade and flung it into one of the green circles, and he watched with fascination as the shade fell in slow motion as if he were falling through thick mud.

Adrios came back to himself as he heard the roar of fire, and he saw the mystery man incinerating a terror demon that had moved to slash at Adrios’ flank. Adrios sighed and nodded in thanks, and the mystery man gave him a roguish wink. Adrios couldn’t stop the smile that came to his face as he turned back to the battle. The others had finished the other shades, leaving only the crackling rift behind. Adrios raised his hand and felt the mark hungrily connect to the rift, drawing from Adrios’ own mana to power the mark. The rift knit together and closed with a crash of noise and light.

The sudden silence rung for a moment before the man moved forward towards Adrios. “Fantastic,” The man studied Adrios, stroking his mustache. “How does that work exactly?” He laughed after a moment. “You don’t even know, do you? You just wiggle your fingers, and boom! Rift closed.”

“Well, I haven’t exactly had time to study the mark in detail,” Adrios replied, sliding his staff back into its sheath. “With the end of the world and what have you.”

The man laughed. “True enough I suppose.” He gave a short bow. “Dorian of House Pavus, most recently of Minrathous. How do you do?”

“Another Tevinter,” Cassandra said quietly, hand on her sword. “Be cautious Adrios.”

Dorian turned back to him, smiling. “Suspicious friends you have.”

Adrios shrugged. “Being kidnapped and tortured will do that.” He saw Dorian’s smile falter for a moment. “I was expecting Felix?”

Dorian’s smile came back. “Felix was to give you the note and meet us here after ditching his father. I’m sure he’s on his way.” He crossed his arms. “Magister Alexius was once my mentor,” Dorian explained. “My assistance should be valuable in this, as I’m sure you can imagine.”

Adrios furrowed his brow. “Your mentor? Are you a magister?”

Dorian sighed deeply and rubbed his brow. “Okay, let’s say this once. I’m a mage from Tevinter, but not a member of the Magisterium.” He quirked an eyebrow at them. “I know you southerners use the terms interchangeably, but that just makes you sound like barbarians.”

“So, does that make you an altus? Or are you a laetan?” Adrios cocked his head, smirking at Dorian. Dorian, in turn, gave him an astonished look.

“An altus,” Dorian replied, looking impressed now.

“Well, Altus Dorian,” Adrios crossed his arms, “stop talking as if you’re waiting for a round of applause and tell us what’s going on.”

Dorian seemed to pout. “What? No applause?” He sighed dramatically. “Fine.” His manner suddenly grew serious. “Look, you must know there’s danger. That should be obvious, even without the note.”

“Quite,” Adrios nodded, frowning. “I wouldn’t trust Alexius as far as I could throw him. And that’s not very far.”

“Well, let’s start with Alexius claiming the mages out from under you,” Dorian continued. “Almost as if by magic, yes? Which is exactly right. To reach Redcliffe before the Inquisition, Alexius distorted time itself.”

There was a silence following his words. “Preposterous,” Vivienne said dismissively. “Manipulating time itself? Many have attempted over the ages, none of succeeded.”

“Yes, but you’ve seen the rifts near Redcliffe haven’t you?” Dorian replied, cocking an eyebrow. “How do you explain the pockets of time fluctuating around them?” Vivienne didn’t respond, but Adrios saw her jaw set. “Soon, there will be more like it and they will spread out from Redcliffe. What Alexius is doing…the magic he is using, it is wildly unstable and it is unraveling the world.” Dorian sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “When I was still his apprentice, it was pure theory. Alexius could never get it to work. What I don’t understand is why he’s doing it? Ripping time to shreds, just to gain a few hundred lackeys?”

“He didn’t do it for them,” A voice echoed from near the back of the chantry, and Adrios turned to see Felix stepping out of the shadows.

“Took you long enough!” Dorian walked over and embraced Felix briefly. Felix returned the embrace just as briefly. “Is he getting suspicious?”

“No,” Felix shook his head. “But I shouldn’t have played the illness card. I thought he’d be fussing over me all day.” He turned to Adrios. “My father has joined a cult. Tevinter supremacists, they’re calling themselves the ‘Venatori.’ And I can tell you one thing, whatever he’s done for them, he’s done to get to you.”

“Why?” Adrios asked before he could stop himself. “Why is he doing all of this to get to me? Rearrange time? Indenture the mage rebellion?” He rubbed his forehead.

“They’re obsessed with you,” Felix shrugged. “I’m not sure why. Maybe because you survived the Temple of Sacred Ashes?”

“Maybe…” Dorian stroked his mustache again thoughtfully. “You can close the rifts…maybe they see you as a threat?”

Felix looked troubled. “If the Venatori are behind those rifts or the Breach, they’re even worse than I thought.”

Adrios sighed. _Maybe I should paint a target on my back and call it a day._ “Well, what should I do then?”

“You know you’re his target,” Dorian replied. “Expecting the trap is the first step in turning it to your advantage. We just need to figure out how to get into the castle and end this before the time is entirely warped beyond recovery.”

“Go to Haven then,” Adrios sighed, rubbing his brow. “You can’t stay in Redcliffe if we want to keep the element of surprise. We need to move on this quickly. We have a few urgent matters before we will return as well.”

Dorian bowed deeply, giving Adrios a cheeky grin. “Yes, sir!” He walked over to the door and Adrios rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop from smiling. “Oh, and Felix?” Dorian turned to face him at the door. “Try not to get yourself killed?” He gave him a merry wave before going through the door.

“There are worse things than dying Dorian,” Felix said quietly, almost to himself. Felix turned to Adrios and gave him a small bow as well before vanishing into the back of the chantry that he came from. Adrios heaved a heavy sigh, and strode over to the doors as well. He flung them wide, and continued down the path. He was moving at a fast pace, and he could hear the others jogging to catch up.

“Does Tevinter really need cults?” Varric asked quietly. “Aren’t they weird enough?”

“Since they’ve outmaneuvered us so far, it might be wise to take them seriously darling,” Vivienne admonished quietly.

“We need to send Leliana and Josephine a message to let them know,” Cassandra said.

“Go to the Crossroads,” Adrios told her, pausing at the large statue to the Hero of Fereldan in the middle of the square. Cassandra made a noise to protest and Adrios held up a hand. “Time is of the essence now.” He was speaking in a low voice. “We have a hostile force on our doorstep, and they are affecting time itself. Go to the Crossroads and send the message. We will cut through the Witchwood on our way to Fort Connor and close two rifts I saw in there. Meet us at Fort Connor, and we will make for where Leliana saw the Warden. Then we will make for Haven.” Adrios sighed. “While you’re in the Crossroads, inform Corporal Vale that I will need to return to close the other rifts and inform the patrols to give them wide berth.” Cassandra finally nodded, and strode off and out of sight. Adrios turned and looked at the others. “We will need to be cautious and quick.” The others nodded to him, and the four of them strode out of the city as well.

They made extremely short work of the rifts, with Adrios no longer holding back to try and keep his regenerative magics active. He smashed through the demons with abandon, with the others playing support to keep him going. They reached Fort Connor very quickly, and Adrios knew they had a few moments to spare before Cassandra would reach them. Adrios reached into his pocket for the talisman that he carried to worry on when he didn’t have time to open a book…but his pocket was empty. _Where could it have gone? I always keep it in my pocket…perhaps I left it in Haven in my breeches?_ Adrios felt troubled without it, that coin had been the first thing his mother had given to him during one of their secret visits.

Galloping distracted him, and he looked up to see Cassandra astride a horse and leading others. Adrios nodded to her and hopped onto the closest. The party rode off and up the hill, towards the spot that the scouts had told of. They reached a small cabin against a mountain near a large pond. A man in impressive armor stood with several villagers, the villagers nervously holding axes and shields. “—a fight, not us. Remember, you’re not hiding behind your shield—you’re holding it. Otherwise, it’s useless.”

“Blackwall?” Adrios called, dismounting smoothly. “Warden Blackwall?” The man’s head jerked and he spun around to them.

“You’re not…” He strode over, holding his sword and shield at the ready. He studied Adrios for a moment before relaxing slightly. “How do you know my name?” He asked in a guarded tone. “Who sent—” There was a flash out of the corner of Adrios’ eye and he threw up a barrier out of reflex. An arrow glanced off it, right where Blackwall’s eyes were. Adrios and Blackwall both turned in the direction the arrow came from. About six bandits were running towards them from where the trees were, two holding bows but the others holding axes and maces. “That’s it!” Blackwall said angrily, turning to face them. “Help, or get out! We’re dealing with these idiots first!” Blackwall turned to the villagers who were obviously on the verge of turning tail and fleeing. “Conscripts! Here they come!” He moved forward to meet the first one. “Remember to hold the wall and force them to come to me!” He bellowed over his shoulder, and Adrios sighed slightly. He made a gesture towards the villagers and there was a crackling noise as a massive wall of ice formed in front of them.

Adrios turned towards the bandits and clapped his hands together. As he did, there was a rush of noise and the bandits were thrown together in front of Blackwall with a crash of bodies. Blackwall, obviously surprised by this, easily made short work of them as they were knocked off balance, finishing them all quickly. Adrios looked over his shoulder and saw that Cassandra, Varric, Solas, and Vivienne hadn’t even bothered to dismount. Varric flashed him a cheeky grin. Adrios rolled his eyes and smiled as he turned back to Blackwall. Blackwall walked over towards the villagers.

“Good work conscripts,” Blackwall said as he approached. “Even if this shouldn’t have happened, they could’ve…well, thieves are made, not born.” He gestured towards the bodies. “Take back what the stole. Go back to your families…you’ve saved yourselves.” The villages moved away cautiously, and Adrios walked up to Blackwall instead. Blackwall turned to him, a guarded look back on his face. “You’re obviously no farmer. Why do you know my name? Who are you?”

Adrios gave a short bow to him. “I know your name because I’m an agent of the Inquisition. I was tasked with investigating whether the disappearance of the Wardens has anything to do with the murder of the Divine.”

Blackwall’s eyes widened. “Maker’s balls, the Wardens and the Divine? That can’t—no, you’re asking so you don’t really know.” He stroked his impressed beard thoughtfully as he sheathed his sword. “First off, I didn’t know they disappeared. But we do that, don’t we ? No more Blight, job done. Wardens are the first thing forgotten. But I will tell you, no Warden killed the Divine. Our purpose isn’t political.”

_There are about a dozen history books I could show you that would argue against that,_ Adrios thought wryly. _Like the story of Warden-Commander Sophia Dryden._ “I’m not here to accuse. I just need information,” Adrios said finally. “I’ve only found you. Do you have any ideas where any others might be?”

Blackwall shrugged. “I travel alone and recruit, I haven’t seen another Warden for months.” He crossed his arms. “Not much interest because the Archdemon is a decade dead, and no reason to conscript because there’s no Blight.”

Adrios sighed. _No concrete answer for Leliana then._ “Well, it has been a pleasure Warden Blackwall. But this didn’t help at all.” Adrios walked past him back towards his horse.

“Wait,” Blackwall called, and Adrios paused to look at him. “Hold a moment…” He sighed deeply. “The Divine is dead and the sky is torn. Events like this, thinking we’re absent is almost as bad as thinking we’re involved.” He crossed his arms again. “If you’re trying to put things right, maybe you need a Warden. Maybe you need me.”

Adrios cocked an eyebrow at him curiously. Blackwall looked back at him, the expression behind his beard a kind of passion that spoke to him. _He obviously means well, I guess this would help Leliana more than a report from me._ Adrios bowed to him. “Warden Blackwall, you’re more than welcome to join the Inquisition. We are currently riding out to Haven, do you wish to join us?”

Blackwall blinked at him in surprise. “Uh…sure!” He strode over to the side of the cabin and packed up a few belongings. Adrios walked over to the others as he did so.

“Are you sure Herald?” Cassandra asked quietly as he drew near.

Adrios nodded slowly. “Wardens are a very trustworthy order, and he seems a good man. Time is of the essence, or I would tell him to simply meet us at Haven.” Cassandra nodded slowly to him. “Did you send the message?”

“Simply that Tevinter is in Redcliffe, and that it’s a complicated situation,” Cassandra replied, fidgeting with the reins of her horse. “We will need to explain it when we return.”

Adrios sighed deeply. _This is going to be a long day._ He turned to see Blackwall approaching. “Do you wish to share my horse Warden?”

He saw Blackwall stare at the horse for a moment before nodding. “I suppose. Are we in a hurry?”

Adrios looked at the others and turned to face Blackwall, a grim expression on his face. “Yes. I’m afraid we are.”


	9. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrios and crew plan to assault Redcliffe. And also the templars. 
> 
> And also a surprise guest!

Chapter 9 – Planning

“So, if you’ll sign here,” Josephine turned the contract around and slid the quill and inkwell over as well. Iron Bull took the quill and signed deftly, handing the quill to Krem next. Krem signed just as deftly, a little neater than Iron Bull. “So that will be all then gentleman.” Josephine curtsied to them, smiling in her diplomatic way. “The payments will start at the date we agreed, and you are welcome to put up your tents wherever you would like. I would suggest near the training grounds, since they are currently free.”

Krem and Iron Bull both nodded to her and turned to leave her room. The door opened as Krem reached for it, and Cullen strode in. “Ah. I was hoping you’d still be here.” Cullen rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Iron Bull, may we have a word?”

Iron Bull raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Sure thing Commander.”

Cullen looked around Iron Bull at Josephine. “You too Josephine.” Josephine stood, raising an eyebrow curiously at Cullen.

Iron Bull looked between the two for a moment before turning to Krem. “Head back to the Chargers Krem, tell them about the contract and where to put down roots. I’ll be back soon.” Krem nodded and strode out the door.

Cullen led Josephine and Iron Bull into the War Room, where Leliana was standing and reading a report. Leliana looked up as the door opened, and they all filed into the room. It was silent for a moment, with Cullen and Leliana exchanging a look. Iron Bull let the silence carry. _I wonder what’s up._ Finally, Cullen cleared his throat. “So, part of the contract mentions that you’ll be joining Ad—the Herald on the battlefield?”

Iron Bull raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, that was something I wanted. I’m best on the front lines.”

Cullen and Leliana exchanged another look before Leliana spoke. “We wished to ask you to do us a favor as a part of the contract.” Iron Bull crossed his arms and waited; his curiosity perked. “The Herald is in danger, and we…need to ensure that he remains safe during his travels. We would like to ask you to be his bodyguard. Go with him when he leaves Haven, and ensure that he remains safe.”

“Uh…sure?” Iron Bull cocked his head slightly. “That was already what we agreed to though, wasn’t it?” He looked over at Josephine, but he was well aware it was. _Sometimes it’s all about acting the part._

“It is,” Josephine confirmed, equally confused from her facial expression.

“We are asking that you remain vigilant at all times,” Leliana explained, “without him noticing that you are doing so. And he cannot know that we asked this of you.”

_There’s the information I was looking for._ “That won’t be a problem.” Iron Bull nodded. “Why me? Why not one of your men?”

“Because of your training with the Ben-Hassrath,” Leliana replied. “And because of your history. You never break a contract or an oath, you follow it to the letter. Well, our request is to ask you to watch him closely without him noticing.”

_Huh. They did background on me._ “Can I ask why that is?”

All three of them exchanged looks this time. “We can’t tell you just yet.” Leliana folded her arms in front of her. “If the Herald makes this knowledge public, we will inform you.”

“Let’s just say that the Herald had a recent and very traumatic experience and leave it at that,” Josephine said in her diplomatic voice, and Leliana gave her a sharp look.

_Hmm…I’ll have to play this by ear. I thought Adrios seemed a little subdued when we met at the Storm Coast compared to the reports on him that I’ve read._ Iron Bull nodded to them. “Consider it done. Did you need anything else?”

“No, that’s all,” Cullen said.

“Thank you, Iron Bull,” Josephine curtsied again and Iron Bull suppressed the urge to laugh at how ridiculous it all seemed. He walked to the door and opened it just as a scout ran up to open it. The scout froze as he took in Iron Bull’s immense form, but Iron Bull stepped aside to let the scout in.

“Sers!” The scout said loudly, saluting them as he came up to the table. “Urgent message from the Hinterlands.” The three advisors all turned to look. “Lady Cassandra sends word that the Tevinter Imperium is in Redcliffe, and the situation with the mages is dire. The Herald’s party is returning at once.”

Cullen and Leliana exchanged a look of mild alarm while Josephine gasped. Iron Bull slipped out the door, striding down out of the Chantry. _Looks like things are going to get exciting around here._

* ~ *

They crested the ridge to see Haven nestled up against the mountain. Adrios sighed from where he was sitting behind Blackwall. The day has been long, and it’s not promising to be any easier. Night had fallen as they were riding, but they still needed to check in and make their report. As they reached the stables and dismounted, a soldier approached them.

“Lady Cassandra! Lord Herald!” The soldier saluted them. “Commander Cullen and Sister Leliana await you in the War Room.”

Adrios sighed heavily. He gave Blackwall a worn smile. “Thank you Warden Blackwall.”

Blackwall waved a hand as he dismounted. “Just Blackwall, please.”

Adrios nodded and looked at the others. They all looked worn out as well, so Adrios gave them a wave goodbye and followed Cassandra as they went up the steps into Haven. They strode up to the Chantry and walked in, heading straight for the back where the War Room was. Cassandra pushed the door open, striding in as Adrios shut it gently behind them.

“Welcome back Herald, Cassandra,” Cullen said quietly, as all three advisors had looked up when the door had opened.

“We received your message,” Leliana said. “Can you explain now?”

“A Magister by the name of Gereon Alexius has indentured the mage rebellion into serving him by using magic to distort and manipulate time,” Adrios said. Silence followed his words as the three advisors looked at each other. “An Altus by the name of Dorian Pavus is on his way here, he was apprenticed to Alexius before he went insane. Alexius has also apparently pledged himself to a cult called the Venatori. Apparently, they are Tevinter supremacists, and they’re obsessed with me.”

More silence.

“I…uh,” Cullen began, then scratched the back of his head. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” Adrios said, sighing heavily. “It’s fucked all kinds of ways.” The absurdity of his statement made Cullen laugh suddenly, and Leliana giggled as well.

“Well, we will need to investigate this and move quickly if we want to save the mage rebellion from themselves,” Leliana said after a moment, staring at the map and thinking. “I’ll have scouts move out tonight.”

“I also brought back Warden Blackwall,” Adrios continued, making Leliana look up sharply. “He does not know where the other Warden’s might have gone, but he wants to help the Inquisition.” Leliana looked thoughtful. “And…uh…I had a request to make of all of you.” Adrios scratched the back of his neck nervously, looking down at the table. He looked up and saw all four of them watching him intently. “Well, first I wanted to mention that I would have these new allies that are joining me meet in here after we finish debriefing. But since it’s the War Room, I wanted to ask before I—”

“You don’t need to ask us that,” Leliana waved her hand dismissively. “That’s perfectly fine.”

“I, uh…” Adrios felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. “I also wanted to officially debrief with you all about…what happened the other day.”

It was silent following these words, and Adrios finally looked up to see all of them watching him again. Cullen looked concerned, Leliana’s face was her usual unreadable mask, Josephine looked almost tearful, Cassandra looked incredibly serious. “You don’t have to, Herald.” Cullen said finally in a quiet voice.

“I…know,” Adrios said, trying to smile at them. “But I’m not sure what information you were able to get from…that…man. And I feel like it may be important, and I’d rather you all know what little information I was able to hear.”

Josephine made a distressed noise, which made all of them look at her. She cleared her throat and dabbed at her eyes. “I’m sure you two are hungry, yes? Stay here, if you please.” Josephine strode out, clearing her throat as she walked. Adrios heaved a heavy sigh, and leaned back against the wall. A few moments passed before the door opened again. A couple servants came in quietly, carrying a couple chairs and a few meat pies and wine. As they set them down, everyone heard a loud rumbling of a stomach. Everyone looked at each other for a moment.

“Sorry,” Leliana giggled finally, making the others laugh as well.

“I guess that’s what happens when we work through lunch, huh?” Cullen said as they all took their chairs. The servants bowed out and Josephine slipped in before the door shut. Once she had sat as well, they all dug in to their food.

“I feel like this is the first time I’ve properly sat down today,” Adrios sighed contently, and Cassandra chuckled.

“You did push a punishing pace Herald,” Cassandra said as she sipped her wine.

Adrios shrugged at her. “I’ve got to do as much good as I can, and there’s only so much time in a day.” There was a hesitant pause as everyone continued to eat. Adrios cleared his throat after a moment, making the others glance at him. “So…I left and went to the basement.” All movement stilled, but Adrios kept his eyes on the plate in front of him. “There wasn’t any light in the dungeons, which I found odd. I conjured a light, and that distraction let them poison me. Whatever it was, it knocked me out.” He took a deep breath. “I woke up in…that room. The daughter, Sandra DuRellion, said that it was a plan she had hatched to make her father kick us out. She said that she served the Elder One, whoever or whatever that is. And she wanted me to suffer. And that man…Samiel…made me suffer. As I’m sure you all remember.”

The silence was thick in the room, but Adrios still did not look up. He could feel a ghost of the torture again, his fingers trembling. Suddenly, two hands came into his line of sight and took his own. They clasped his hands tightly, and Adrios looked up in surprise. Cullen had leaned forward to grip Adrios’ hands in his, a fierce look on his face. Adrios smiled hesitantly at him and felt the trembling cease almost immediately.

There was a polite cough and the spell was broken, Adrios blinking and pulling his hands away from Cullen. Leliana had a mysterious smile on her face, and Josephine was trying not to grin at him. Adrios felt heat rush into his face. “At any rate,” Josephine broke the moment, suppressing her smile. “I will need to reach out to the Marquis and see what I can do about this situation. We don’t have any proof, and I would bet that they would have no records of employing this Samiel.”

“And he has not talked,” Leliana added. “At this point, I don’t think he would be able to anyway.” Leliana gave Adrios a smile that gave him chills. “I must admit, I was a little overzealous with my interrogation.”

“He’s still lucky that you got him out of my sight,” Cullen said in a low growl, and Adrios felt some of the heat that had left his face quickly come back.

“Oh!” Adrios clapped a hand to his forehead, and he turned to rummage through his bag. Finally, he pulled out the thick tome Clemence had given him, and he handed it over to Leliana. Leliana opened it curiously, and he watched her face grow still as she read the marked page. “There is a Tranquil by the name of Clemence who is going to be bringing the Tranquil still in Redcliffe here. But I haven’t seen any sort of Ocularum on my travels? Could your scouts keep an eye out?” Adrios took another sip of his wine, sighing deeply. “As well as keeping an eye out for any Tranquil, since they are apparently in danger now.”

“So, it seems we have quite a bit of work to do in the morning,” Josephine said, looking at the book curiously but making notes on her clipboard. “I think you and Cassandra should go rest and we will reconvene in the morning.”

Adrios and Cassandra both stood. Adrios stretched and yawned widely, Cassandra merely nodded to the others before walking to the door. “Good night,” She said as she opened the door and walked out. Adrios bobbed his head at them and also left, walking quietly out the door and shutting it gently behind him.

He walked through the quiet Chantry, seeing that most of the candles that usually lit the huge building were out. _I wonder how late it is._ He walked to the front doors and pushed one open as quietly as he could. Night had properly fallen outside, with much of Haven quiet and dark. _Probably close to the ninth bell, if I had to guess._ Adrios let the door shut behind him, and he stood in the dark and quiet night for a moment. He looked up at the night sky and watched the beautiful sky for a moment. Thanks to Haven being so far out of the reaches of civilization, Adrios could see more of the night sky here than he ever had before. It was breathtaking, and not just because it was freezing. He tried to suppress his shiver as he looked up at the sky, his breath misting in the night air.

He heard the rattle of the door behind him and he shifted aside so he wouldn’t be hit by the door opening. The door creaked open slowly and Cullen stepped out, looking around and noticing Adrios was still standing here. “Finished with the strategizing already Commander?” Adrios smiled at him, wrapping his arms around himself to try and stay warmer.

Cullen smiled back hesitantly. “No, I just…came out to see if you were still nearby.” He rubbed the back of his neck, seeming to be a little nervous. “Are you doing okay?”

Adrios raised an eyebrow at him curiously. “Yeah…why do you ask?”

Cullen cleared his throat and looked up at the starry sky. “Reliving that night can’t have been as easy as you made it look. I was just…concerned. I can tell that you feel like a lot is resting on your shoulders.”

Adrios gave Cullen a tentative smile. “I’m okay Cullen. Truly.” Adrios inched a little closer to him. “I appreciate your concern though.” On a whim, Adrios leaned in and hugged him. He felt Cullen freeze for a moment as Adrios wrapped his arms around him gently, and Adrios was about to move away when he felt Cullen return the embrace just as gently. Adrios could feel his heart pounding and he released Cullen. Adrios could feel his cheeks burning and Cullen looked like someone had hit him in the head with a mallet. “Good night, Commander.” Adrios whispered and turned away.

He walked a few steps away and heard Cullen whisper, “Good night, Adrios.”

Adrios paused in his steps, before lengthening his stride and walking off towards his cabin. _I need to go to bed. And possibly take a cold bath._

* ~ *

Cullen woke with a start. _I’m so used to nightmares at this point, but…_ He sat up and rubbed his eyes. _This wasn’t a nightmare…_ The dream was slowly fading away, but Cullen could remember…holding Adrios close and dancing with him to a melody he didn’t recognize. He remembered the feel of Adrios’ hands on him, the look in Adrios’ eyes as they moved together. The music had jarred suddenly, and both of them had paused. The dream had fell apart moments after that, shocking Cullen awake.

Cullen rubbed his face, feeling his heartbeat speed up as he remembered the feeling of Adrios pressed up against him. He felt his cheeks flush and he adjusted himself in his small clothes. _Perhaps I should take Varric’s advice…_ Cullen shook himself a little before standing up. _Well. Training fields first, and then…well, we will see._ He dressed quickly and left his tent. Josephine had tried to convince him to take a cabin from Haven, but he had declined over and over. He didn’t need somewhere fancy to lay his head.

He walked to the training fields, looking across the empty fields at the sun that was beginning to rise. Cullen sighed to himself and looked down at the stack of papers that was still waiting for his approval. He started working through the papers, restraining himself from giving his second a dark look when Rylen brought him another stack of papers. He worked through the papers and reports for several bells, time passing slowly for him as he worked through them.

He finally set the last report aside as the seventh bell rang, and Cullen sighed deeply as he felt his stomach rumble slightly. He walked over towards the path leading into the village. _Maybe some food at The Singing Maiden._

“Commander!” Cullen turned, seeing a soldier jogging over towards him. The soldier stopped a few feet away, saluting and catching his breath.

“Yes soldier?” Cullen replied promptly.

“We received reports from the soldiers lower down the mountain,” The soldier said, holding his salute. “There are nobles approaching. They said they were the DuRellion’s.” Cullen felt his heart stop and he stared at the soldier. The soldier, for his part, seemed to be increasingly nervous as the Commander stared at him. “Sister Leliana bade that we…uh, report in to one of the two of you should the…DuRellion’s…arrive…are you okay Commander?”

Cullen shook himself a little and nodded to the soldier. “Yes. Thank you soldier. Go and notify Sister Leliana.” The soldier nodded and ran up the steps. Cullen took a deep breath and sprinted for Adrios’ cabin.

* ~ *

Adrios stretched and yawned widely. He rolled onto his side to look out the window. The sun was rising into the sky, making it close to the eighth bell if he had to guess. _I should probably get up and see what I can do around the camp. There are probably wounded I can help. I just didn’t really want to wake up…I had been having such a good dream._ All he remembered of it was a strange melody, and strong hands encircling him.

Adrios sighed and sat up, the blankets falling away from him. _Good dreams were hard to come by lately._ The chill in the cabin made him shiver suddenly, and he waved a hand at the fireplace. What had been glowing cinders flared up into a crackling fire, sending a wave of heat into the cabin. Adrios stood up from the bed and grabbed his cloak that was resting on the back of his chair. He wrapped it around himself and walked over to the fireplace, watching the flickering flames for a moment.

A sudden hammering made him jump. He turned to the door and watched it for a moment before he walked over to it. He opened it a crack and saw Cullen standing there, looking nervous. Adrios tried to suppress a smile, and he pushed the door open wide. “Cullen? What—” Cullen walked through the open door into the cabin, and Adrios stopped talking as he passed. He shut the door after a moment, and followed him back in.

“Scouts have reported that the DuRellion’s are here,” Cullen said after a pause, standing facing the back wall of the cabin. Adrios felt his heart freeze in his chest. Cullen sighed. “I wanted to come and warn you just in case they—” Cullen turned around to face Adrios as he spoke, and suddenly he froze. Adrios looked at him a little curiously, before realizing his cloak was open and mostly just sitting on his shoulders.

So he was standing with a cloak wrapped around his shoulders and in his smallclothes, standing in front of the man he had a massive crush on.

Adrios felt his face burn and he wrapped his cloak around himself tightly. “Um. Sorry.” Cullen’s eyes were wide and his face was as red as a tomato.

“I,” Cullen cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “I…shouldn’t have…barged in. You…can…um…I’ll step outside so you can get dressed. We should get to the War Room.” Adrios nodded, his face burning red, and Cullen strode by him and out the door. The door shut quietly and Adrios sighed quietly to himself, covering his face with both hands.

“I’m such an idiot,” Adrios whispered to himself. He sighed deeply, and he walked over to his dresser. He dressed quickly, pulling on his breeches and royal blue tunic and sliding his staff into its sheath. He walked towards the door, gesturing to the fire so that it died down as he opened the door leading out. Adrios shut the door behind him, and he saw Cullen standing facing into the village and rubbing his face with his hand. “Ready!” Adrios said brightly, trying to ignore that he had been pretty much naked in front of him moments earlier.

Cullen turned to face him, his cheeks still red. Cullen nodded and they set off for the Chantry. They walked in silence, Adrios trying to think things through. They had reached the Chantry and walked inside before he had even begun to process things, and they were walking through the doors all too soon. Cullen pushed the door open and they walked inside. Leliana was standing there with Josephine, talking quietly.

“I see you got the message Herald,” Josephine said, her face uncharacteristically grave.

“What is the plan?” Adrios said, crossing his arms. He could still feel the terror of that day in his heart, and he clenched his fists to still the trembling.

“Diplomacy, Herald,” Josephine replied, giving him a tiny smile.

“And failing that, we will eliminate them,” Leliana shrugged. Josephine made a noise of protest and Leliana gave Adrios a tiny wink. Leliana turned to Josephine with a blank and innocent look. “When is he due to arrive?”

Josephine opened her mouth, just as there was a rap at the door. She pointed and gestured to the guard at the door. The guard saluted her and turned and opened the door. The Marquis strode in, back straight and full of pompous air.

“Greetings Marquis,” Josephine said in her even voice.

“Inquisition,” The Marquis said in his pompous voice, gesturing dramatically. “You insisted that you allow the Herald to speak for himself. I, however, do not understand why you needed to be cruel to my daughter. That, I cannot abide!” He slammed a fist on the War Table, making everything on the table rattle.

“Whatever do you mean Marquis?” Adrios asked in a polite and even tone. Josephine made a noise, but he held up a hand. He could feel the trembling in his hands again, but he tried to ignore it.

The Marquis made a noise of contempt. “You cannot play the fool with me, Herald! My daughter told me how you—”

“How she insisted that you attempt to force a marriage from me?” Adrios asked quietly. He felt a hand take his, and a quick glance confirmed that it was Cullen taking it. The Marquis looked like he had seen a ghost. “Despite the fact that I’m a mage from the Free Marches, and a heretic under the Chantry?”

“How…” The Marquis began, trying to regain his composure.

“Because Sandra told me,” Adrios said in the same even tone. “Before she instructed Samiel to torture me.”

The room was silent for a moment before the Marquis laughed. “Torture? Please Herald, if you are going to lie, you should be more convincing about it.”

“’I’m going to leave and return to my father,’” Adrios recited, feeling Cullen squeeze his hand and still the trembling, “’and say that you refused me and that we need to evict the Inquisition from Haven. Samiel will get to stay here and play with you.’” The silence stretched as Adrios stared at the Marquis, and Marquis turned white under his mask. “They used Magebane to incapacitate me, and tortured me for hours. If Inquisition soldiers hadn’t rescued me, I wouldn’t be here now.”

The silence stretched on; tension thick enough to cut with a blade. “Marquis, let us discuss this in a reasonable way,” Josephine said softly.

“If…” The Marquis began, before clearing his throat. “If what you say is true, Herald…” He paused, walking along the table to face the wall. He stopped, tapping a finger on the table. Finally, he reached up and removed the ornate mask that was on his face. The Marquis turned and faced them, showing them his true face for the first time. “My daughter is not the same as she once was. She has had visits from suspicious characters, and she has been pushing the issue about the Inquisition in a strange manner. I…find it difficult to believe she could bring such violence upon another person, but…” He sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes. “I wouldn’t be able to bring justice upon her if that is the case.”

“We cannot allow this to go unnoticed Marquis,” Leliana said quietly. “It cannot—and will not—go unnoticed or unpunished.”

“I know,” The Marquis sighed heavily. He reached down and picked his mask back up and put it back on his face. “I will return home and see what I can do keep things from getting worse. I will remain in contact with you Lady Josephine.” He walked to the door and opened it, but paused in the doorway. “Herald…” He didn’t turn around, but Adrios felt Cullen squeeze his hand. “I am sorry for the pain that was caused.” He strode out of the room, letting the door close quietly behind him.

The room was silent for a long moment as Adrios let his composure slip, and he felt the trembling take over his entire body. He felt his knees give way as his breathing sped up, and he was vaguely aware in a very odd, detached way that he was having an anxiety attack from reliving the memories. He felt arms catch him before he hit the ground and he concentrated on trying to calm his breathing. After a few long moments, he felt his breathing slow and he regained his senses. He realized that Cullen had caught him before he fell and was currently holding him and trying to get him to calm down. Adrios smiled up at Cullen, and Cullen smiled back at him tentatively. Adrios reached up and gently touched Cullen’s cheek.

A cough brought the world crashing back. Adrios felt his face flush, and he leapt up and out of Cullen’s arms. “Um. Sorry about that.”

“No need for apologies Herald,” Leliana said smoothly, smirking at him. “Traumatic experiences can do that.” She cleared her throat, looking down at a report she had. “So, I did receive some information regarding the templars. Josephine and I spoke on this last night, and I think we can move forward with our plans on recruiting the templars.”

“Our ultimate goal is to convince the Lord Seeker to bring the templars out of the exile that he led them into at Therinfal Redoubt,” Josephine added.

“Why go there?” Cullen asked in a puzzled tone, having stood back up and regained his place at the war table. “It has been vacant for decades.”

“That is one of the many questions we don’t have answers to,” Leliana replied, crossing her arms.

“So, what’s the plan?” Adrios asked, scratching his nose. “Present our plan to seal the Breach and hope they ally with us?”

“First, we will need to prove that we are an attractive prospect to ally with,” Josephine smiled brightly at Adrios. “I have been working tirelessly to create alliances with the noblest houses in Orlais.”

“Once they have been finalized, they will accompany us to Therinfal,” Leliana added. “Together, we will be able to demand that the templars help close the Breach.”

Cullen and Adrios exchanged a look. “You believe that will work?” Cullen asked doubtfully.

“Even the Lord Seeker will find it difficult to ignore so many nobles on his doorstep,” Leliana replied. “Especially when led by the Herald of Andraste.” She turned to look at Adrios in a satisfied way.

“Is it my good looks or my winning smile that make me the perfect bait?” Adrios ran a hand along his hair, beaming at Leliana.

Leliana smiled, but continued, “Rumors you were saved from the Fade by Andraste have grown legion among the templars.”

“And we have done our part to encourage them,” Josephine added.

“The Herald with a few companions may be easily dismissed,” Leliana continued. “But that same Herald returning with the support of the noble families of Orlais will need to be considered, as well as the power of the Inquisition.”

“With respect,” Cullen said, crossing his arms, “hang what the Lord Seeker thinks. We don’t need the Lord Seeker, we need the templars.”

“We will attempt to do this as diplomatically as possible,” Josephine interjected sternly.

“And should that fail…well, you’ll be going with weapons for a reason,” Leliana smirked at Adrios, and Josephine sighed deeply.

“We have a few more alliances to solidify,” Josephine continued, ignoring Leliana. “With any luck, we will be able to move on Therinfal within the next few days.”

“That’s all well and good, but have you had any ideas about what to do regarding the mages?” Adrios asked, rubbing his forehead. _Too much diplomacy always makes my head hurt._ “The thought of leaving the mages in the hands of that Magister doesn’t sit right with me.”

“I—” Josephine began, but a rap at the door interrupted her.

“Enter,” Leliana called. The door opened and a scout strode in, a raven perched on her shoulder and holding a letter.

“We received a message sers,” The scout seemed unsure of who to hand the letter to with so many important people in one place. Leliana made a motion and the scout hurried to her and handed Leliana the letter. The scout saluted her and scurried out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Leliana’s eyes scanned the letter quickly, her expression never changing. She turned and handed the letter to Josephine, crossing her arms.

“What is it?” Adrios asked after a moment of watching the two of their faces.

“A letter from Alexius,” Josephine set the letter on the table in front of her, frowning at it. “Requesting a reschedule of the negotiations, and asking for Adrios Trevelyan to come to Redcliffe Castle alone as the negotiator.”

“He’s so complimentary that it is clear he wants to kill you,” Leliana said quietly with a lopsided smile.

“Unacceptable,” Cullen said at once. “He can’t go alone, and we don’t have the manpower to take the castle by force. It is one of the most defensible fortresses in Fereldan, and it has repelled thousands of assaults.” Cullen turned to Adrios; his face incredibly serious. “If you go in there, you’ll die. I won’t allow it.” His expression was fierce.

“If we don’t even try, we lose the mage rebellion and leave a hostile foreign power on our doorstep,” Leliana shot back, her hands folded behind her back.

“Even if we could assault the keep,” Josephine interjected, “it would be for naught. Fereldan still thinks we are Orlesian, and an Orlesian Inquisition army marching into Fereldan would provoke a war. And we do not have the time to officially petition King Alistair for support. Our hands are tied.”

Silence rang between them for a few moments.

“The magister has outplayed us,” Cullen said grimly.

“No,” Adrios shook his head, making the other look at him in surprise. “I refuse to give up this easily.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before turning to Leliana. “Didn’t the Hero of Fereldan enter Redcliffe Castle to find Connor after the repelling the undead?”

“Yes…” Leliana scratched her head. “I was with her when she entered the Castle.” A look of understanding came over her face. “Of course! The escape route!” The others looked at her blankly. “It’s a secret passage that we were shown by Arl Teagan to allow us to enter the Castle. It’s an escape route for the royal family.” She looked down at the map thoughtfully. “It’s too narrow for troops to go through, but we could send agents through.”

There was another knock at the door. “What now.” Cullen said quietly, and Adrios shot him a grin. “Come in!” Cullen barked. The door opened and a soldier came through with Dorian in tow.

“This man says he is expected by the Herald?” The soldier asked quietly, looking at the advisors and Adrios. Adrios nodded and the soldier saluted them and left.

“Good to see you again Dorian,” Adrios gave a small bow at the waist. “You have excellent timing. We are discussing our attack on Redcliffe Castle.”

“Ah!” Dorian said brightly. “What’s the plan then?”

“We found a secret passage that leads into the Castle,” Adrios said quickly. “We will send agents through to eliminate their men.”

“I think that would be too risky though,” Cullen interrupted Adrios, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the map. “The agents will be discovered well before they reach the magister.”

“That’s why I will be going as the negotiator,” Adrios replied brightly. “Distract the magister and his troops with my presence while the agents infiltrate the Castle.”

Cullen looked aghast at him while Josephine and Leliana shared a look. “Risky, but it could work Herald.” Josephine said quietly.

“No,” Cullen said forcefully. “You cannot go there alone, even with our agents as backup. It is too risky.”

“Well, he won’t be alone,” Dorian said confidently. Everyone turned to look at him. “I will accompany your spies into the secret passage to help them get past Alexius’ magic without him noticing the enchantments being broken.” He crossed his arms. “And I would imagine that Adrios will be bringing some of his accomplices along with him? Diplomatic envoys, as it were?” Dorian looked at Adrios sharply, and Adrios shrugged.

“Well, yeah,” Adrios said sheepishly. “I don’t know if Cullen would let me out of this room if I didn’t agree to have people accompany me.” There was a thoughtful silence as everyone mulled over the plan. “It would seem I’m bait either way,” Adrios said quietly, smiling down at the map. “Must be I’m really appealing to people.”

“I’d say,” Cullen muttered and Adrios’ head jerked up to look at him in shock. Cullen was looking down at the table and didn’t look up at Adrios’ sudden movement.

_Did he actually say that?_ Adrios thought, his head spinning a little. _Or was that my own wishful thoughts?_ “So…uh…” Adrios cleared his throat, looking away from Cullen. “Is this the plan then?”

Leliana, Josephine, and Cullen exchanged a look with one another. After a moment, they all nodded to Adrios. “Yes Herald,” Josephine started making notes on her clipboard.

“I would recommend that you leave for Redcliffe as soon as possible,” Leliana continued. “The longer you wait, the more volatile this situation becomes.”

“We will leave tonight,” Adrios said, crossing his arms. They all looked at him in surprise. “With any luck, we will secure the mage rebellion cooperation and it will make the Inquisition all the more formidable. That should assist in securing the attention of the Lord Seeker.”

Leliana and Josephine exchanged a look before nodding to him. “As you say, Herald.” Josephine curtsied to him.

“I’m accompanying the Herald to Redcliffe,” Cullen blurted out, a fierce expression on his face. Adrios looked at him in surprise.

“Commander, I think it would be better if you—” Josephine began in a very diplomatic tone, but Cullen cut her off.

“It is not up for discussion,” Cullen said, his tone making it clear his decision was final. “Between Rylen and Cassandra, they can handle anything that may occur in my absence. And I will not allow the Herald to go into this alone.”

Adrios felt himself smile, and turned to the other advisors. “If that’s what you wish,” Adrios shrugged, trying to maintain a neutral expression. “I’ll send for the others and discuss who will be accompanying me.” He looked at Leliana and Josephine, his expression turning slightly more serious. “Was there anything else that needed to be discussed?”

Josephine shook her head. “Everything else has already been handled, or is not urgent enough to warrant halting our plans.”

“Very well,” Adrios crossed his arms. “I will meet with the other members of my Circle, and I anticipate that we will leave for Redcliffe by the midday bell. Is that enough time to get your agents moving Leliana?”

“I expect so,” Leliana nodded. “I will go and begin preparations and have the other members of your Circle sent in.” She strode to the door.

“And I will go and continue our discussions with the nobles of Orlais,” Josephine nodded to Adrios. “Best of luck on the mission, Herald.” Josephine curtsied to Adrios, and strode over to the door as well where Leliana was waiting. Leliana bowed to Adrios, and the pair of them strode out of the door.

The door shut quietly behind them, and Adrios could feel Cullen’s eyes on him. Adrios could feel his cheeks flushing and he tried very hard to ignore the fact that they were alone. “Um.” Adrios cleared his throat. “Thank you, Commander.” Adrios finally turned around to face Cullen, leaning against the table as he did so. Cullen didn’t respond, looking down at the floor with a slightly confused expression on his face. Adrios felt a sudden longing within him, and the memory of Cullen holding him a few moments ago surged forward. He felt his cheeks flush deeper, and he cleared his throat and turned away.

The door opened as he turned around, and Vivienne stepped through. She gave Adrios a gracious smile, and Adrios gave a smile in return. And for the next twenty minutes or so, the members of his Inner Circle filed into the room. When Blackwall and Iron Bull finally filed in, Adrios took a breath. “So, I figured I would brief you all at once. We are going to be heading to Redcliffe Castle to negotiate with Magister Alexius to attempt to gain support of the mage rebellion for closing the Breach.” Adrios looked at all of them individually, for a moment. “And…uh…Commander Cullen here is going to be joining me.”

“Curly?” Varric asked, surprise in his voice. “You’re leaving Haven?”

“Uh…yes,” Adrios glanced over his shoulder and saw Cullen rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I am going to request that Cassandra and Knight-Lieutenant Rylen remain in charge in my absence.”

“I was expecting to join the Herald in case he needed templar abilities,” Cassandra said slowly, crossing her arms. “But I suspect that you will be more than capable in guarding him.”

“Even so,” Adrios interrupted, “I don’t expect direct confrontation with Alexius. Dorian will be accompanying our scouts so that he can unravel any protective enchantments that he finds. And I cannot bring too many with me to Redcliffe Castle, since Alexius wants me to go alone.”

“Boss,” Iron Bull spoke up, crossing his arms and stepping forward towards the War Table. “I want to come.”

“Oh,” Adrios was a little taken back. “Uh…sure. So, Cullen and Iron Bull and myself.” “So, it will be the four of us. And I hope that we can keep the fighting to a minimum. Josephine expects that we will be able to go to get the templars within the next few days, so remain ready.” Nods back to him, and Adrios took a deep breath. “Iron Bull, Cullen…we will be leaving by midday. Make any preparations that you need, and meet at the stables by midday. We ride for Redcliffe.”


	10. Lets Do The Time Warp Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrios and party venture to Redcliffe to get the mages on their side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I typed part of this up on my phone, and part on my computer. Forgive any spelling errors, I proofread it twice but who knows if I missed anything.

Chapter 10 - Let’s Do The Time Warp Again

Adrios could see the castle getting closer. He could feel his heartbeat speeding up as he thought about all that was riding on this meeting. The horses came to a halt as they neared the bridge that led to the massive portcullis that had repelled so many assault. _I hope Dorian and the scouts don’t have any problems._ They had stopped briefly at Fort Connor to meet and take stock of the plans before continuing to the castle, and Dorian had seemed too much as ease for Adrios.

Adrios could feel his heart hammering in is chest as they party dismounted. There were robed soldiers in the same manner of robes as Alexius on the bridge every few feet, and he felt their eyes on them as the stood at the beginning of the bridge. He checked behind himself and saw Cullen and Iron Bull both standing close behind him. He could see the stress in the set of Cullen’s jaw, but Iron Bull seemed totally at ease. _The life of a spy, I suppose_. Adrios felt his mouth quirk in a smile at Iron Bull, and Iron Bull cocked an eyebrow back at him. Adrios shook his head at him and he took a deep breath to steel himself.

The three of them started across the bridge, Adrios keeping his head high and back straight as they walked. He could feel the eyes of the guards on them the entire way, and they couldn’t walk fast enough as far as Adrios was concerned. As they got within ten feet of the portcullis it shifted and began to smoothly rise out of sight. Adrios didn’t slow his walk and they strode right into the courtyard.

A man in light blue robes stood in the courtyard by the stairs leading into the castle proper, flanked by guards. He inclined his head to Adrios. “Herald of Andraste. Master Alexius has been awaiting your arrival.” He raised a hand slowly and indicated Iron Bull and Cullen. “Your companions may remain here until the conclusion of the negotiations.”

Adrios gave a polite smile and slowly shook his head. “My apologies, but their presence is not negotiable. They will remain with me to assist in the deliberations.”

The man in blue gave Adrios what almost seemed like an annoyed look before it vanished off his face but he inclined his head to him. “This way Herald.” He turned and started up the stairs. Adrios took a breath to steady his nerves and followed him up the stairs. Cullen and Iron Bull were only a few steps behind him, but Adrios didn’t miss the quiet footsteps of the guards that had been flanking their guide that were now following behind them.

They passed through the impressive doors and through a foyer that was warmed by massive fireplaces. They passed through another set of impressive oak doors and walked into a massive throne room. Tall wooden pillars stretched up to the ceiling ever few feet, intricate designs carved into the pillars. This room seemed cold, the only fire lit being directly behind the throne that was at the end of the hall. Adrios led the way down the hall and could see figures standing in the shadows by the pillars and watching their progress. As the approached the throne, he saw Fiona standing near one of the pillars and Alexius sitting on the throne, looking totally at ease. Felix stood by his right hand, his face expressionless. Alexius, for his part, looked to be totally at ease and raised his hands in welcome.

“Welcome my friends!” Alexius beamed at the party. “It is good to see you again.” He watched the three of them come to a stop at the bottom of the steps leading up to the throne. “I hope we will be able to continue our negotiations.”

Adrios glanced at Fiona. “Is the Grand Enchanter going to be a part of the talks?” Adrios kept his voice level and he kept his gaze on Alexius. He saw the barest flicker of annoyance cross his face.

“I am in charge of the southern mages,” Alexius said in his easy going voice. “Fiona would not have entrusted their safety to me if she did not trust me with their lives.”

“Well, I would welcome her to be a part of the talks as a guest of the Inquisition then,” Adrios replied in the same calm and even voice. “I am sure she would know a great deal of the specific details regarding the mages that had been under her protection.” He saw Fiona look at him with a level of astonishment before her face smoothed out to impassiveness.

She stepped over to stand a few steps to Adrios’ right, and he felt Cullen move a few steps closer. “Thank you, Herald.” Fiona have a small bow to him and turned to face Alexius. Adrios could feel a spark of determination in her again, and suppressed the urge to smirk at Alexius.

Alexius—for his part—had remained where he was and was completely still, his face expressionless. _That is probably his angry face._ Suddenly, he smiled. It was less his easy-going-friendly smile, and more a baring of his teeth. “Very well.” He crossed his legs and folded his hands in front of himself. “Let us begin then. The Inquisition needs mages to assist with closing the Breach, and I have them. What is the Inquisition going to offer in exchange?”

Adrios finally let a genuine smile cross his face. “I was actually more interested in hearing more about these ‘Venatori’ that people have been talking about.” Adrios felt Fiona’s confused gaze on him, but he had eyes only for Alexius.

Alexius was no longer smiling, and he stood up from the throne. “Now, where could you have heard that name?”

“I told him.” Felix spoke for the first time, turning to face his father.

Alexius’ eyes hardened as he turned to face his son. “Felix. What have you done.”

“Your son,” Adrios let his voice carry, “is concerned you’re involved in something terrible.”

Alexius’ face was an ugly sneer now. “So speaks the thief. You think you can turn my son against me?” He turned back to fully face Adrios now. “You walk into MY stronghold with your stolen mark—a gift you don’t even understand—and you think you’re in control?!” He walked down that he was at the top of the stairs, a few feet away from Adrios. “You’re nothing but a mistake.”

“If I’m a mistake, what was supposed to happen?” Adrios frowned at Alexius. “What was this mark supposed to do?”

Alexius laughed, high and cold. “It belongs to your betters. You wouldn’t even begin to understand its purpose.”

“Father, will you listen to yourself?” Felix stepped forward so he was almost next to Alexius. “Do you understand what you sound like right now?”

“He sounds exactly like the sort of villainous cliché that everyone expects us to be,” A voice called out from the darkness, and Dorian stepped out from behind the closest pillar.

“Dorian,” Alexius said quietly as Dorian walked over to stand beside Adrios. “I gave you the chance to join me when all of this started. You turned me down.” Alexius wasn’t bothering trying to hide his fury now. “The Elder One has power you wouldn’t believe!” The name made Adrios’ blood run cold. “He will raise the Imperium from its own ashes!”

“Elder One,” Adrios whispered, swallowing against the ghost of pain that accompanied those words. He raised his voice and shouted at Alexius. “Who is the Elder One?!”

Alexius smirked, opening his arms wide. “Soon he will be a god. He will make the world bow to mages once more! We will rule from the Boeric Ocean to the Frozen Seas!”

“You can’t involve my people in this!” Fiona shouted, interrupting Alexius with her own fury.

“Alexius, please!” Dorian stepped up a step so he was closer to the Magister. “This is exactly what you and I had said we _never wanted_ to happen. Why would you support this?”

Alexius turned away from Dorian and stepped back to the throne, placing a hand on the back of the grand chair. Felix stepped after him and placed a hand on Alexius’ shoulder. “Stop this Father. Give up the Venatori. Let us go home, and leave the southern mages to deal with the Breach.”

Alexius suddenly whipped around, the fervor from earlier back in his voice. “No!” He suddenly looked deranged. “This is the only way Felix! He can save you!”

“Save me?” Felix took a step back from Alexius, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“There is a way…” Alexius’ voice was faint, and he was looking at Felix with a pleading expression on his face. “The Elder One promised…if I undo the mistake at the temple…” Alexius turned his gaze to Adrios. The look on Alexius’ face made Adrios reach back and draw his staff swiftly.

“Father,” Felix said quietly. “I’m going to die. You need to accept that.”

“Seize them Venatori!” Alexius bellowed, ignoring Felix. “The Elder One demands this mans life!”

The only response was a quiet gurgling noise. Adrios looked behind him and saw the Venatori collapsing to the ground. Some had arrows sticking from their throats, some had quietly had their throats slit, others had had their necks snapped quickly from behind. They all few to the ground within seconds of each other, scouts of the Inquisition stepping forward to take their place. Adrios turned back to Alexius, a smile spreading across his face. “Your men are dead, Alexius.”

Alexius’ face went from horrified to rage within seconds. “YOU ARE A MISTAKE!” He bellowed, and pulled a small orb out of a pocket of his robes. Adrios felt the power emanating from the tiny orb, and instantly cast a barrier over himself and the people standing around him. “You should never have existed!” The orb began to glow the ominous green of the rifts as Alexius cast some unknown spell.

“No!” Dorian shouted and there was a flash of light as Dorian countered whatever spell Alexius was casting. There was a whirl of green and Adrios felt his feet leave the ground as his senses were consumed by the green and the rush of sound.

And just as suddenly, silence…and darkness.

Adrios could feel that he was standing in hip deep water, the sound of trickling water filling his ears. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to seeing by an ominous red glow that seemed to be coming from the walls. He was standing in a cell, and Dorian was beside him. Alexius opened his mouth to say something when there was a clattering from outside of the cell. Soldiers dressed similarly to the Venatori from a few seconds ago were running into the room, holding swords. The closest soldier saw the two of them in the cell. “Blood of the Elder One!” He shouted. _Uh…is that a new curse?_ Adrios stares at the two soldiers in confusion, but they opened the cell door and drew their swords.

Adrios saw that his staff was thankfully still in his hand, and he quickly channeled a spell. The two men were blasted off their feet by a force spell Adrios projected, and he then quickly summoned Veilfire arrows to pierce them while they were still against the cell wall. Adrios turned to Dorian as the men collapsed into the water.

Dorian hadn’t even had a chance to draw his staff. He was staring at Adrios. “Impressive.” He then looked around himself at the cell. “Displacement...interesting.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Alexius summoned a rift…I’m assuming this isn’t what he intended. So…aha!” He clapped his hands together, a look of triumph on his face. “Of course! It’s not just simply _where_ , it’s _when_!” Adrios stared at him in shock while Dorian looked smug to have worked such a thing out. “He used that stone as a focus, and moved us through time!”

“He…” Adrios swallowed hard. “He moved us through time.” He rubbed his temples. “The implications of that alone…and that he did so in such a rush…he might have irreparably damaged the fabric of time itself.”

Dorian nodded, still smiling with a mixture of pride and enthusiasm. “Of course. It was less us ‘traveling through time’ and more Alexius punching a hole in the fabric of space-time and tossing it in the privy.” He shrugged. “But I didn’t know for sure what he was trying to do. I just knew it was bad, and targeted on you. Now that I think on it…” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “He was probably trying to remove you from time completely. That way, you wouldn’t have been at the Temple of Sacred Ashes and you never would have mangled his Elder One’s plans. But your surprise in the hall made him reckless, and he threw us into the rift before he had finished his spell. So when I interrupted him, it displaced us in time instead of removing us.”

Adrios ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “This is…just so insane.” He sighed deeply and felt his magic work on the stress in his body unconsciously. He took another deep breath. “Can you reverse it?”

Dorian stroked his mustache, twirling the end around his finger. “Perhaps…we will need to see if we can get that focus back from Alexius. That would be preferable.”

Adrios walked over to the cell door. When the soldiers had charged in, it had slammed shut behind them and—Adrios tested it—locked behind them. Adrios felt a flash of anger inside him. Such a small inconvenience, but it enraged him just the same. Adrios raised his hand and a burst of energy surged from him and hit the door. It burst open with a thunderous clang, and he turned to Dorian. Dorian was watching him with a mildly amused expression. “Let’s go. We need to find Alexius. See where…when we are.” They moved out of the door, wading through the deep water. Adrios felt his greaves crunch on the ground, crushing bones that were hiding underwater. Adrios tried to not think about it. After a bit of wading, they made it to the stairs. Water was running in streams down the stairs, and they walked carefully up the stairs. They got to the top of the stairs and saw an intersection of stairs going to the left and right. A large statue of Andraste stood in a recess, and Adrios saw that it had red crystals covering much of the face and upper body. Adrios could feel heat coming off the crystal. “Why is there red lyrium here?” Adrios whispered, horror surging through him as he recognized the crystal.

“It certainly wasn’t like this when I passed through here with your agents,” Dorian said quietly, a note of nonchalance in his voice. “There was plenty of dreadful tapestries of mabaris. This…is not an improvement.”

They continued moving along the corridors. As they continued, it was clear they were in the dungeons under the castle. They passed cell after cell; some containing skeletons, some just containing branches of the glowing red lyrium. Adrios felt sweat begin to bead up on his face and run down his back. Adrios could hear a song faintly as they continued. He slowed his pace and heard Dorian draw his staff. They continued on their way and Adrios finally saw a person, standing in a cell and singing. After a few stanzas, Adrios recognized that it was the Chant of Light. Adrios drew up to the bars and saw the same mage from Redcliffe, the guide that had been in brown robes. He stared out of eyes unseeing, a red glow emanating from his body and glowing in his eyes.

Adrios stared at the man, a terrible sadness in his heart. “What did they do to him?” Adrios drew away from the bars, and looked at Dorian. Dorian’s brow was furrowed and he was silent under Adrios’ gaze. Adrios continued on the path, and came to another set of stairs. They walked quickly up the stairs, and Adrios saw two bored Venatori soldiers standing watch on a large metal catwalk. Adrios glanced at Dorian and Dorian nodded to him. Adrios walked out onto the catwalk and gestured to the air. A spear of ice formed in the air and the Venatori shouted in warning. Quick as a thought, the spear flew towards the soldier. It impaled him and the force of it threw the man off the catwalk. Adrios turned to check on the other soldier, and watched Dorian incinerating the other soldier.

There were two other paths leading off the catwalk, and one raised bridge. Adrios eyed the raised bridge before turning to look at the other two paths. “Any ideas Dorian?”

Dorian shrugged. “Eeney meeny miney moe?”

Adrios rolled his eyes, and decided on the right path. He walked over and walked through the doorway. Stairs led back down into a darkness and Adrios summoned an orb of magelight to hover at his shoulder. He walked carefully down the stairs, a hand on the wall to help keep his footing on the crumbling stairs. He got to the bottom of the stairs and found that the ceiling in the room had collapsed. Water was running down from the hole in the ceiling, and Adrios carefully stepped into the rubble. He saw a door that was still intact on the side of the wall and he picked it way across to the door. Pushing it open he saw—“More stairs.” Adrios sighed heavily and continued down the stairs. The door at the bottom of the stairs was open and there was a bright red glow in that room. He frowned but continued.

The doorway opened into a hallway that had cells like before. He saw a closed door near the end of the hall, and there was a cell on his left that was emitting the bright red glow. He walked over and saw a huge mound of the red lyrium on the floor and wall. And… “Fiona?!?” Adrios felt his jaw drop open. Fiona was held against the wall, encased in red lyrium. She turned to him and he saw the saw red glow coming out of her eyes.

“You’re…alive?” She whispered, every word sounding as if it was causing physical pain. “How? I saw you disappear…into the rift.” She sagged again the wall but the crystal was solid as the stone wall and was holding her upright.

“Fiona…” Adrios swallowed hard. “Is that red lyrium growing out of you?” He had noticed that there was no discernible end to the crystal and beginning to Fiona’s body. It seemed to be all her.

She laughed, a horrible rasping noise. “The…longer you’re near it…eventually…you become this. Then, they mine your corpse for more.”

Adrios swallowed hard but Dorian stepped up to the bars. “What date is it? Can you tell us? It’s very important!”

“Harvestmere…9:42, Dragon,” Fiona replied, breathing heavily.

“Nine forty- _two_?” Dorian stroked his mustache slowly. “We missed an entire year.”

“We need to get back,” Adrios said grimly. “This is horrible.”

“Please,” Fiona whispered, her voice broken. “Please…stop this from happening.” She took another breath. “Alexius…serves…the Elder One. More powerful…than the Maker. No one…challenges him…and lives.” She took another breath. “Much of…the Inquisition…was killed in battle. Some…of your people remain. Find them…find Alexius. But…hurry…before the Elder One learns you’re here!” She sighed and her body went limp against the wall. Adrios swallowed hard and stepped back from the bars.

“Let’s go Dorian,” Adrios was surprised at the steel in his voice, and he led the way deeper into the room towards the door. They continued through the door and through a few more hallways of empty cells.

“…through the paths of this world,” Adrios could hear words echoing from the room ahead. He sped up his stride. “And into the next. For she who trusts in the Maker, fire is her water.” Adrios entered the room in a rush, and turned to see a woman sitting cross legged in one of the cells. He recognized the short black hair, but the steely eyes were glowing red now. She gasped. “You…you’ve returned to us? Can this be true? Has Andraste given us another chance?” She drew a ragged breath.

“Cassandra,” Adrios said quietly, pulling the cell door open.

Cassandra got up and came to Adrios. Her movements were no longer fluid, but she moved as if she had arthritis in all her major joints. The more she moved, the smoother her gait became. She came up to Adrios and clasped his hands in hers. “Forgive me.” She whispered. “Maker, forgive me. I failed you. I failed everyone. The end must truly be upon us if the dead return to life.”

“I’m not dead Cassandra,” Adrios said gently. It made his heart break to see her like this, her impressive drive and spirit broken. “Alexius sent us forward in time. If we find him, we may be able to go back.”

“Go…back,” Cassandra whispered, her face hardening. “You may be able to stop all of this from happening?”

“Hopefully,” Dorian said brightly. “Or it’ll turn us into paste.” Adrios sighed, glaring at Dorian. Dorian shrugged at Adrios. “What? It’s the truth.”

Adrios turned back to Cassandra. “Will you help us reach Alexius?”

Cassandra nodded and released Adrios’ hands. She stepped back into her cell and picked up her sword and shield. Her armor, her weapons…they looked dirty, dingy. She sheathed the sword and slung the shield on her back before nodding to the two of them. “We will have no problem finding him. He has locked himself in the throne room.”

“Are you the only survivor from the Inquisition?” Adrios asked before he could stop himself, and Cassandra turned her red-tinged eyes on him.

“No,” She replied, her voice even. “Leliana is being held farther up in the castle. Cullen…” She pointed farther down the hall. “But…” Adrios didn’t register any more words, he took off down the hall. He could feel his heart in his throat.

_Cullen…he’s still alive? How is this possible?_ Adrios bounded through room after room before he heard humming. He paused, recognizing the tune. _That…sounds like the song from the dream I had…_ Adrios slowed his footsteps, and he walked into the last room on this row slowly. It was dark in this room, the magelight following Adrios’ steps. He checked the first two cells, nothing. The last cell on the right…

“Cullen?” Adrios whispered, touching the bars. A man looked up, amber eyes meeting green. His hair was long and shaggy, his face emaciated…but it was still him.

“Adrios,” Cullen stumbled to his feet. He lurched to the bars and grasped Adrios’ hands tightly. “Am I finally dead? Is this my afterlife…being with you?” Adrios felt a hitch in his breath.

“Cullen…” Adrios pulled his hands free and pulled open the door, stepping inside. Cullen swayed a little on his feet and Adrios steadied him. He expected Cullen to step back, to rub his neck and laugh nervously. Cullen stepped unsteadily closer to Adrios and wrapped his arms around Adrios, pulling him close and holding him tightly. Adrios couldn’t stop the tears now, wrapping his own trembling arms around Cullen’s form and sobbing quietly. “Cullen, I’m so sorry.” He could feel the bones standing out against his skin, the skin stretched tightly across the remaining muscle and bones.

“Adrios,” He whispered and Adrios could feel his hands rubbing his back gently in a soothing pattern. Adrios drew back after a moment, pulling off his gauntlets and tossing them to the floor so he could wipe his eyes. He looked at Cullen’s face, and saw the bright smile that Cullen gave him.

“Cullen…” Adrios whispered, beginning to draw back as he felt his cheeks burn. “I’m sorry, I—“

“No,” Cullen stopped him, holding him where he was. “I’ve spent every day of the last year regretting.”

“Regretting?” Adrios felt his heart pounding in his chest. “Regretting what?”

Cullen stepped close to him again, placing one of his hands on Adrios’ cheek. Adrios felt his heart stop, and Cullen leaned in to him. Adrios’ eyes closed and he felt Cullen close the last few inches to press his lips to Adrios’. Adrios felt like time stopped, every cell of his being burned with the feeling. He reveled in Cullen’s warmth. After a few breathless moments, a few timeless days…Cullen pulled back slightly. “I always regretted not doing that.” He whispered.

“Cullen…” Adrios stared at him, feeling like he’d been hit upside the head with a club.

“I was always too afraid when you were still here,” Cullen touched Adrios’ face gently, his thumb rubbing his cheek.

“Cullen,” Adrios sighed, reaching up with his own hand and covering Cullen’s in his. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. Alexius’ spell sent us forward in time…we need to get to him and Dorian may be able to send me back. Stop this from happening…”

Cullen stared at him for a moment before nodding. “I will help make sure that you reach him. I’m not sure how much help I’ll be…exactly.” He stepped away and walked over to a corner of his cell, picking up his sword and shield. Adrios didn’t miss the way that he trembled as he sheathed the sword. Cullen turned and saw Adrios watching and gave him a small smile. “They kept me alive, trying to turn me. First they tried to give me red lyrium so I would turn, and then tried to give me regular lyrium so that I would get leashed back into the addiction. So I refused everything they offered.”

“How did you survive without lyrium?” Adrios asked quietly, staring wide-eyed at him.

Cullen laughed, the sound surprising Adrios. “I never got a chance to tell you that I stopped taking lyrium, did I?” Adrios stared at him in shock, his eyebrows shooting up towards his hair. “Well, when you make it back, hopefully Past Cullen can tell you about it. For now…we need to move. Before the Elder One learns you’re here.” He started towards the door, moving slowly as his body shook. Adrios frowned and walked up to him as he was nearing the door. He grabbed Cullen’s shoulders and made him turn to face him. He took a breath and grabbed his face, pulling him into a fierce kiss. Cullen was obviously surprised but responded with enthusiasm. Adrios opened his mouth and channeled his mana as he breathed into Cullen. He felt Cullen’s entire body shudder as Adrios flooded his body with healing and regenerative magic. After a few breathless moments, he pulled back and smiled at Cullen nervously. “What…?” Cullen looked down at himself in wonder. His skin was no longer pulled taut over the muscle and bone, and he looked much healthier.

“The healing magic I flooded your body with should sustain you for a couple hours, at least,” Adrios smiled nervously at him, and turned to open his pack. He dug for a moment and finally pulled out some rations that he stored in case of emergency. “But you should still eat something.”

Cullen took the food from him with a smile, and the look of adoration on his face was fierce in its intensity. Adrios reached up and touched his cheek hesitantly, before turning and picking up the gauntlets he had tossed on the floor. He slid them back onto his hands and strode out of the cell, back down towards the rest of the party. He heard Cullen’s footsteps a few moments after, and they walked together down the hall. Eventually, they rejoined Cassandra and Dorian.

“Commander,” Cassandra inclined her head towards Cullen, who returned the nod. “It’s good to see you back in fine form.”

Cullen gave Adrios a wide smile. “Only thanks to Adrios.” He reached over and ran his thumb along Adrios’ cheekbone, which sent shivers down his spine. He felt heat flush his face, and cleared his throat nervously.

“A-anyway,” Adrios turned back down the hall they had originally came in from. “Let’s go find Leliana and Alexius.” They all started walking, the only sound the dripping of water. After a few rooms had passed though, Adrios felt the familiar burn of curiosity. “What happened after I left?” His voice was quiet, but echoed all the same around him.

“We attempted to fight Alexius,” Cullen said quietly. “But he was too powerful for the two of us. We ended up retreating from the castle. We were attempting to regroup in Haven, when we received word that a demon army had been formed in Orlais. Due to the civil war, they weren’t able to repel the invasion of demons. We attempted to aid them, but we couldn’t be in so many places. Between the templars being tainted by red lyrium, the Venatori, the demon army…the Inquisition fell apart. Vivienne returned to the Imperial Court…I heard she was slain when Celene was assassinated. Solas was just gone one day. Varric went back to Kirkwall, Iron Bull returned to the Qun…Blackwall and Sera stayed with the us to try and save people, but they were overwhelmed. Leliana and I were the only ones left…and the Elder One captured us after he reopened the Breach.” Cullen suddenly realized that Adrios wasn’t walking with them anymore. Cullen turned to see Adrios standing, staring at Cullen in horror.

“That’s…” Adrios swallowed hard, trying to regain some composure.

“Yeah, it was fucked all kind of ways,” Cullen gave him a wide smile that had no humor in it. Adrios couldn’t stop the laughter that choked out, but he swallowed hard and took a breath.

“Sounds like we have a lot to do when we return,” Adrios lengthened his stride, overtaking the others so that he was leading the way again. They passed through the rooms and back up the stairs into the room with the ruined ceiling, going up the stairs. As they walked, they heard loud clanging coming from the room ahead. Adrios paused in his steps to look around at the others, before continuing more cautiously up the stairs.

“We have had several missing patrols!” A voice called out in a commanding voice, making Adrios pause again. “You are to investigate and ensure nothing is out of place!” Footsteps could be heard clanging on the catwalk ahead, and Adrios felt a sudden anger swell inside him. _These people have destroyed the world._ He drew his staff and strode up the stairs, taking them two at a time in his haste. He heard sounds of surprise from behind him, but he didn’t pause. He crested the stairs and strode out onto the catwalk, and he saw three soldiers and a man in elaborate robes. The man in robes noticed him first and cried out. “Intruders! To arms!”

Adrios channeled the rage that still boiled inside him, making a gesture with his free left hand and a massive bolt of lightning arced out from his hand and struck the man in robes. It glanced off a barrier that the man had put up, and Adrios was vaguely aware of Cullen and Cassandra charging forward with their shields. Adrios felt his jaw set as he reached inside for magic again, casting a force spell and summoning spears of translucent Veilfire. The force spell jostled the mage and knocked him off balance, the spears of Veilfire piercing him through and breaking through the barrier as if it were tissue paper. The mage fell with a rasping breath, the Veilfire burning brighter for a moment as it fed off his mana before flicking out.

Adrios turned his attention to the soldiers, only to see that they had been quickly dispatched by the others. Cassandra gave him a grim smile. “Just like old times, Herald.” Adrios winked at her and strode over to the door that the Venatori had opened as they lowered the catwalk. He led the way through the doors and up the stairs, moving quietly with his staff drawn as he listened for the movements of Venatori. They reached the top of the stairs and walked out into a large room. It looked like it would be a dining hall at one point, but it was filled with red lyrium clusters and decayed corpses. Adrios frowned to himself, and continued through the hall.

“Everything is just…” Adrios whispered quietly, letting his senses stretch out around him. _It all feels like death and decay…and despair. It’s…_

“They sooner you get to Alexius,” Cullen said in a low voice, “the sooner you can stop all this from happening.”

Adrios turned and looked at Cullen, the amber eyes meeting his briefly. He turned, and continued through the room, passing through the door that had another flight of stairs leading up. He reached another long and winding passageway, the floors damp and water dripping down the walls. He could immediately sense the change however, and quickly pulled his senses back to himself. _The torture chambers._ “Is this where Leliana is…?” Adrios whispered, fear clutching at his chest. Cullen nodded, and Adrios took off. He was half jogging through the corridors, listening intently and focusing on keeping his footsteps quiet.

“So I’ll ask again!” A voice shouted, making Adrios jump and almost drop his staff. He froze, listening. “How did Trevelyan know of the sacrifice at the temple?!” Silence seemed to echo around Adrios. “Answer!”

“Never!” Leliana’s voice came back, sharp and vicious. The sharp noise of a slap followed these words, followed by a grunt of pain from Leliana. Adrios felt his heart seem to freeze, and he took off again, almost sprinting at this point.

“There’s no use to this defiance, little bird,” The man’s voice seemed to be attempting to be kind. “There’s no one left for you to protect.”

“You’re wasting your breath!” Leliana shouted back.

Another slap, followed by a deeper grunt of pain. “Talk! The Elder One demands answers!”

Leliana laughed at this, short barks of almost insane laughter. “He’ll get used to disappointment!” Adrios could hear it much clearer, and knew that it was behind the door that he was fast approaching on the left.

“You will break!” The man’s voice was cold now, and Adrios shoved the door open. The man was standing facing Leliana, who was hung from the ceiling by manacles around her wrists.

“I will die first!” Leliana said in an unimaginably cold voice. Leliana looked up, over the man’s shoulders, and a cruel smile formed on her lips. “Or…you will.”

Adrios felt a cold anger take hold of him, and he raised a hand. He called to the water in the man’s body and in an instant, watched the man freeze solid with his hand still outstretched towards Leliana. Adrios walked over and shoved the now-frozen man, making him topple over with a thud. He reached up and used force magic to break the locks on the shackles, grabbing Leliana’s arms gently as he was released and helping her back down to her feet. Leliana stared at Adrios for a long moment before walking around him and bringing her foot down hard on the frozen man’s head. The entire body shattered at the force of it, frozen blood flowing onto the ground. “You saved me from being tortured,” Adrios said quietly. “Now I’ve returned the favor.”

“How did you survive?” Leliana’s voice was cold as she walked over to a trunk that was in the corner.

“Alexius sent us forward in time,” Adrios replied, feeling a brief wave of guilt before he squashed it down inside himself. “He meant to erase me from time, and made a mistake.”

“Then it will be his last mistake,” Leliana said in that same cold voice, straightening up with a bow and quiver slung over her back.

Adrios frowned and walked over to her. “Leliana, let me—” He reached out a hand to her, and she slapped his hand away. Hard.

“Save your spells, your magic,” Leliana said, her voice like ice. “I will be fine to end Alexius. You seek to reverse the spell, yes?” Adrios nodded, his heart feeling like it was breaking watching her. “Then let us go.”

_She didn’t break from the torture, but won’t be the same because of it either._ Adrios followed her form as it led up into the castle. “Why you Leliana? After all this time?”

“Stop talking,” She said in the same cold voice, glancing over her shoulder. “You do not wish to hear what happened, you hope to stop this from happening in the first place.”

Adrios looked at Cullen, his heart troubled. Cullen reached out and touched his cheek gently. Adrios gave him a weak smile and turned back towards Leliana. He strode forward, outpacing Leliana to lead the way farther up into the castle. They walked through empty hallways, passing patches of red lyrium and more decaying bodies. They walked through the harbor built into the castle, walked through the massive gateway that would protect the upper castle from the harbor by a massive iron portcullis when needed.

At last, they started seeing servants quarters and less obvious signs of torture and death. The servants quarters where just empty, obvious that the servants had either left or been killed elsewhere. Finally they passed through a door into a large room that had evidently been a Chantry. A large statue of Andraste stood against a wall, almost completely covered in red lyrium. Adrios only had a moment to react before he felt his the mark on his hand react, and he saw a rift tear open overhead. “Rift!” Adrios shouted, drawing his staff.

Between the five of them, they made short work of the shades and wraiths that formed and soon Adrios was sealing the rift with the same effortless motion as before. “I forgot how good it was to see the damn things close,” Cullen said quietly as he sheathed his sword. Adrios gave him a weak smile and turned to continue up the wide and crumbling stone steps. As they neared the top of the steps, he saw a large courtyard through the broken steps. _Maybe the inner courtyard?_

They crested the steps and the sight made Adrios falter in his steps. The wide sky above was no longer the blues he remembered, but the sickly green of the Breach. But…everywhere. “The Breach!” Adrios said in a low voice. “It’s…”

“Everywhere,” Dorian finished after a moment, his voice equally low.

“The Elder One reopened it and ventured into the Fade,” Leliana said in that same cold voice. “Come. We must keep moving.” Adrios forced himself to keep walking, to tear his eyes away from the sky. He felt a desperation take hold of him as he made his strides longer. _We need to get back and stop this. We have to._ They walked through the crumbling courtyard, finally spotting a useable doorway. They walked through it and down a crumbling hallway, down crumbling stairs. “Up ahead is the main hall. There are typically several guards posted here, and it had a gateway that leads to the throne room.”

Adrios nodded and pushed the door open leading to the hall. He saw about ten guards walking about, and he quickly strode out. A motion and a huge crackling wall of ice formed in an arc around them, forcing the soldiers to come to one side to meet Cullen and Cassandra’s blade. Leliana and Dorian took several down from a distance, and Adrios conjured spears of ice to pierce several more. After a few moments of frenzied battle, it was over. Adrios made a motion and the wall crumbled into shards of ice that quickly melted away.

“That way,” Cullen pointed, and they moved up the hall in the direction he pointed. As they walked, Adrios got a very strange—almost tingling—feeling. As they neared the large gate, Adrios gasped.

“An Elven Runic Gate,” Adrios breathed, moving forward to touch the door. He felt the keyholes respond to his magic, tingling along his senses. “Where in Andraste’s name did Alexius find this? How did he move it here?”

“I wonder what he made the keys,” Dorian was also examining the door. “Probably shards of red lyrium, if I were to guess.” He stroked his mustache intently. “Most likely his generals have them? We will have to—”

Adrios laughed, waving a hand dismissively at Dorian. Dorian seemed to bristle a little, but Adrios ignored him. “Elven Runic Gates can have keys of whatever the owner wishes, true. But there is another way to open these gates.”

Dorian stared at him intently. “How is that? And how would you know? Even the Imperium knows next to nothing on elven lore.”

Adrios gave him a lopsided smile. “Because my mentor was a bookworm.” He gave his staff to Cullen and pulled off his gauntlets again. “Now, it will take much too long to explain. Can you reinforce my mana?” Dorian nodded and a look of concentration came over his face. Slowly, Adrios felt Dorian’s mana brush his and he slowly began to feed him mana. Adrios took a deep breath and placed his hands against the doors. He began to quietly speak the phrase in elvish that the book he had read years ago stated, and began to flood each individual lock with his mana in a deliberate way, following the directions he had read to form his mana into patterns that would mimic how an ancient elf would have cast their magic. Slowly, he saw the locks begin to light up. He heard Dorian’s gasp of excitement, and Adrios felt the locks begin to light up faster as he got the hang of the spell. Finally, there was an audible and echoing click and the doors began to slowly open. Adrios released his hold on the magic, and felt Dorian stop the flood of mana to him.

“Impressive,” Dorian stroked his mustache as Adrios walked over and grabbed his staff and gauntlets from Cullen.

“He always was,” Cullen smiled warmly at Adrios, and Adrios felt a tingling through his body. He blushed and turned towards the door.

“Let’s do this,” Adrios said quietly, looking around at the others. They all nodded back to him, and Adrios strode through the doorway. They walked into the dark throne room, the only fireplace lit once again being the one behind the throne. Adrios saw a familiar red-robed form standing in front of the throne. “Alexius!” Adrios shouted, his voice like steel. “It’s time you answer for your crimes.”

“And here you are,” Alexius sounded tired. “Finally. I knew you would appear again…not that I knew when it would be, but I knew I hadn’t destroyed you. My final failure…”

“Was any of this worth it?” Dorian asked quietly. “Destroying the world? Destroying yourself?”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Alexius’ voice sounded broken. “All we can do…is wait for the end.”

“Yes, it does matter,” Adrios said in his harshest voice. “I will undo this.”

Alexius laughed in a humorless way. “How many times have I tried? The past cannot be undone, no matter what you try. No matter what…the Elder One comes. For you…for me…for us all.” Suddenly, Leliana stepped out of the shadows beside Alexius, dragging a form with her. A familiar form…in yellow robes. “Felix!” Alexius shouted, pain making his voice strong again.

“That’s _Felix_?!” Dorian shouted, horror coloring his words. “Maker’s breath Alexius, what did you do?!”

“Corruption,” Adrios said grimly. Dorian whipped his head to Adrios, and Alexius was silent. “He was tainted by the darkspawn, wasn’t he Alexius?” Alexius refused to look at anyone besides the gaunt form of his son.

“He would have died!” Alexius bellowed, sorrow and pain almost choking him. “I saved him…please…don’t hurt him! I’ll do whatever you ask!”

“You didn’t save him Alexius,” Adrios said in a cold voice. “The corruption destroyed his mind and he suffered for far longer than he should have as the corruption poisoned his body.” He nodded to Leliana. “Give him a merciful death, even if it’s far too late for mercy now.”

Leliana gave Alexius a smile that was mostly teeth and she ripped her dagger across Felix’s throat. The body crumpled without a word as the blood poured from his body. Alexius watched in horror. “No. NO!” He bellowed the final word, magic pouring from him in a torrent as his rage blew out around him like a gale. Adrios was blown off his feet and landed on his back several feet away. He scrambled up, seeing that Cullen and Cassandra had both planted their feet and only moved a foot or so away. Leliana had been blasted away, and Dorian had blocked the magic at the last moment. Adrios shook his head like he was clearing water from his ears, standing up. He watched as Alexius danced between the blades of Cassandra and Cullen, summoning barriers and pushing the blades away with wind.

Adrios channeled his mana, calling forth long spears of ice and flinging them at Alexius. He deflected them into the floor or walls harmlessly, firing back bolts of fire. Adrios let them wash over his barrier, concentrating on summoning arcs of lightning. Alexius blocked bolt after bolt of lightning, letting the bolts crash against his barrier or deflecting them into the massive wooden pillars. Adrios gestured and force magic crashed against Alexius, forcing him back a few steps and off balance. Before the force spell had even left him, he summoned a massive bolt of sustained lightning. He cast it at Alexius, and poured his mana into the spell. The bolt connected with Alexius’ shield and stayed connected as Adrios channeled it. He watched Alexius’ face as his barrier collapsed and the force of the bolt struck him full in the chest. He was flung back against the wall and fell to the ground, insensible.

Adrios fade-stepped forward to where Cullen was and grabbed his sword from his hand. He walked forward and with a swift movement, decapitated Alexius. He wiped the blade on the corpse before walking back to hand it silently to Cullen. Dorian was watching the fallen form with an expression close to despair. “He…wanted to die. Didn’t he.” Dorian sighed. “All those lies, all that justification…oh, Alexius.”

“This Alexius was beyond help,” Adrios said curtly. “We need to return to our time, where we may still be able to save him.” Dorian nodded and walked over to the body. A few moments of rummaging, and he walked back with the same unsettling green orb.

“This is the same orb he used to send us here,” Dorian was examining it as he approached. “It looks like the same one I helped him create in Minrathous. That’s a relief.” His charming smile was back on his face. “Give me an hour, and I should be able to reopen the rift.”

“An hour?!” Leliana shouted, coming over to him. “That’s…impossible! You need to leave! Now!” A deep rumbling came from all around, accompanied by a bone-chilling roar. The entire room seemed to rattle, and stones fell from the ceiling and walls. “The Elder One…” She said quietly, and Adrios felt a chill again.

“You must hurry,” Cassandra said, her arms folded and her face serious. “We will not survive his direct involvement.”

Adrios looked down the hall at the massive Elven Gate, and with a gesture pulled his magic back to him. The door seemed to shiver and silently closed with a massive boom. “Work Dorian. Quickly.” He could feel Dorian working near the throne, chanting spells and… _well, who knows what else he is doing. I never studied time magic. Because it shouldn’t be possible._ Adrios shook his head, and raised his arms. Great walls of stone rose through the floor, blocking and reinforcing the Elven Gate. Another gesture and he formed a massive barrier of sparkling spirit energy across the door.

“That will not hold them for long,” Cullen said grimly, startling Adrios as he realized that Cullen was standing beside him. “Cassandra…” Cassandra nodded to him, and walked towards the barrier. She planted her feet a slight ways away from the barrier. Adrios turned to Cullen, a deep sadness taking over him.

“Cullen…” He whispered. “You—”

Cullen placed a finger on Adrios’ lips, and smiled. “Go stand with Dorian. Cassandra and I will be the first line of defense.” He looked over at Leliana, who nodded curtly back to him. “Leliana, the last. You _must get back to your own time._ You need to stop all of this from happening.”

“Cullen…” Adrios felt tears trickling down his face. “I…”

“Shhh…” Cullen reached up and wiped the tears off his face. “By strong, my love.”

Adrios grabbed Cullen’s shoulders and pulled him into a fierce embrace, holding him tightly and trying to keep himself from sobbing. Cullen hugged him tightly before gently pushing him back. He leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips, gentle but firm. Adrios kissed him back desperately, and suddenly he was gone. Adrios opened his eyes to see that he was walking towards Cassandra, drawing his shield. “I love you,” Adrios whispered to his retreating back. After a long moment, he wiped his cheeks on the leather palms of his gauntlets and turned to walk over to Dorian. He stood in silence as Dorian worked, staring at the blonde man across the hall.

A deep rattling boom echoed across the chamber. Followed by a second. And then, a third…Adrios felt the shattering of the locks that had reformed and the doors crashed against the walls of stone he had created.

BOOM.

BOOM.

_BOOM_!

The doors swung freely open as the stone shattered and crumbled away. Terror demons and shades flooded in, followed by dozens of Venatori soldiers. Adrios felt a growing surge of magical energy at his side, and he concentrated on feeding Dorian mana as Dorian had done for him just a short while ago. After a moment, he felt Dorian latch onto his mana and begin feeding it into the spell. “Gotcha!” Dorian whispered, and there was a tiny green flicker.

There was a guttural yell and Adrios couldn’t stop himself from looking and seeing a terror demon with his claws buried in Cullen. Adrios felt a sob choke out and he looked away as he saw Cassandra cut down as well. The green tornado of energy began to form around them, and he watched helplessly as he watched Leliana struggling to keep the demons off them. Finally, as the green rift roared to life and swept them away, his last sight was Leliana being overwhelmed…

A crashing, swirling noise surrounded Adrios. Adrios couldn’t stop the sobs that were racking his chest, and he suddenly felt ground connect under his greaves and he collapsed to the ground on all fours.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” He heard Dorian say triumphantly. Adrios swallowed hard and stood back up. He could feel his body trembling uncontrollably, and he desperately tried to regain his composure. They were back in the hall, back in their time. He saw Cullen’s panic and watched as Cullen and Iron Bull surged forward to him.

Adrios turned his attention back to Alexius, and watched Alexius collapse to his knees. “You’ve won.” Alexius sighed heavily, looking up at Dorian and Adrios. “I see no point in extending this…charade.” He looked over at Felix, an overwhelming sadness in his eyes. “Felix…

“It’s going to be all right Father,” Felix crouched down beside Alexius, placing his hands on his father’s shoulders.

“You’ll die,” Alexius whispered, tears forming in his eyes.

Felix nodded slowly. “Everyone dies, Father.” Alexius looked away.

“Adrios?” Adrios turned his attention back to his companions. Cullen and Iron Bull were standing at his side now, Cullen looking incredibly worried. “Are…you okay?”

Adrios sighed and shook his head. “Not here.” He watched Inquisition soldiers bind Alexius and lead him from the hall towards the secret passage, Felix close behind. The doors had barely shut behind them when the doors leading to the main entrance banged open. Soldiers began to march in, and Adrios recognized the Fereldan crest on their armor as they marched in and took up position in neat lines. “Wonderful.” Adrios said quietly as he strode forward. The lines of soldiers were slowly parting to allow someone through, and Adrios saw a tall blonde man with a square jaw in ornate armor striding forward.

The man made a beeline for Grand Enchanter Fiona, and Adrios strode over to join her. “Grand Enchanter Fiona!” The man called as he neared. “Imagine my surprise when I learned that you’ve given Redcliffe Castle away to a Magister…”

“King Alistair,” Fiona said quietly, walking forward and bowed deeply to him. She seemed deeply unsettled by his appearance.

“Especially since I’m fairly sure Redcliffe belongs to Arl Teagan,” Alistair continued as if she hadn’t spoken, crossing his arms and staring at her intently.

“Your Majesty…” Fiona began, wringing her hands. “We never intended—”

“I know,” Alistair cut her off harshly, “what you intended. I wanted to help you, help the mages live a life without feeling imprisoned. You’ve made it impossible.” He took a deep breath before continuing in a ringing voice. “You and your followers are no longer welcome in Fereldan.”

“But…we have hundreds!” Fiona said in a quiet, pleading voice. “Hundreds of people who need protection! Where will we go?”

Adrios cleared his throat politely, bowing deeply to King Alistair as he looked over to him. “King Alistair, it is a pleasure.” He turned his attention to Fiona. “I believe the Inquisition will be able to assist you, Grand Enchanter.”

“And what are the terms of this arrangement?” Fiona said harshly, folding her arms and staring at him.

Adrios raised an eyebrow at her. “Better than being forced into slavery by a foreign country because you were too weak to realize that he was using magic to fool you.” Fiona flinched as if he had struck her.

“I would recommend you take whatever deal they offer, Grand Enchanter,” Alistair said in icy tones. “Either way, you’re leaving my kingdom.”

“It…seems we have no choice,” Fiona said slowly, looking from King Alistair to Adrios.

Adrios paused a moment, thinking hard. “We will offer the mages a full alliance. Supplies, a place to rebuild.” He could practically feel the disapproval radiating from Cullen and Iron Bull, but he ignored them.

Fiona, however, could not. She glanced at Cullen over Adrios’ shoulder before looking back to Adrios. “I pray the rest of the Inquisition honors that agreement.”

“The Breach threatens all of Thedas,” Adrios said in a commanding voice, causing her to draw back slightly. “We cannot afford to be divided. Gather your people and meet us in Haven. We must close the Breach. Quickly.” He turned from her as she bowed to him, and he bowed deeply to Alistair. “Your Majesty.”

“Herald of Andraste,” Alistair gave him a genuine smile. “It seems I owe you quite a great deal, having dealt with this foreign power on my doorstep and quieting the war in our farmlands.”

“All in a days work, Your Majesty,” Adrios beamed at him and gave him a roguish wink. Alistair laughed. “If you will excuse us, Your Majesty, we will need to be making our way back to Haven.”

“Absolutely,” Alistair nodded and turned back to his soldiers. “We need to finish getting the Venatori out of Redcliffe.” He turned back to Adrios after a moment. “My soldiers will help get the mages together and help them on the trip to Haven. I don’t expect them to arrive for a few weeks, but it will depend on what the advisors say about that.”

“Herald,” Fiona said quietly, stepping forward. “I will come to Haven personally with some of the most experienced Senior Enchanters. We will do our part to help close the Breach. I promise you.” Adrios nodded to her, and bowed deeply to Alistair again.

“Cullen, Iron Bull, Dorian,” Adrios called over his shoulder and started walking towards the door. Soldiers parted before him like a sea, allowing the four of them to pass through unhindered. They walked out of the throne room and through the main hall. They walked outside to the bridge, seeing it lined now by soldiers of Fereldan.

“Herald!” Adrios paused, turning to see Cullen running to catch up to him. Iron Bull and Dorian were walking as they followed, seemingly unconcerned with catching up.

“Yes Commander?” Adrios raised an eyebrow. _If he’s going to call me by my title, so can I._ Cullen seemed a little taken aback—since Adrios never called him Commander—but he plowed on just the same.

“An alliance?” Cullen said angrily. “After all the dangers posed by the Breach, after everything they’ve done? The Veil is torn open!”

“Everyone deserves a chance,” Adrios replied steadily, crossing his arms. “The threat of possession remains the same, whether they are leashed to us or allied.”

“But—” Cullen said angrily, but Adrios had heard enough.

“If you didn’t approve, why didn’t you step forward yourself?” Adrios continued, anger flaring up and silencing Cullen. “You and Leliana and Josephine sent me here to get allies for the Breach. I did. If you don’t like how I did it, you shouldn’t have given me the fucking reins to begin with!”

Cullen stared at him for a long moment, as Adrios stared at him with fury in his eyes. Suddenly, the image of Cullen being cut down in front of him flashed in his mind and all the fire went out of him like it had been doused with water. Adrios turned away, pulling off his gauntlets angrily and stowing them in his bag. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. “Adrios…” Cullen said quietly, walking around him so he was in front of him again. “What happened in that rift? When you were gone?” Adrios didn’t look up, couldn’t look him in the eyes while the image of him being cut down was so raw in his mind. “Adrios—”

“I…I can’t, Cullen,” Adrios said quietly, his voice trembling. “Not right now.” Cullen gently took his hands in his, and Adrios felt his heart thump wildly.

“Let’s go back,” Cullen said quietly, and he put an arm around Adrios’ shoulders as he felt the trembling start again. They walked down the bridge, Iron Bull and Dorian follow in their wake.

“Dorian, you can take my horse,” Adrios said as they neared the horses who were watching them approach and munching on their hay. “Mind if I ride with you Cullen?”

“Boss, you could always ride here,” Iron Bull said, his voice innocent but his raised eyebrow suggestive.

Adrios did finally laugh, albeit in a very tired way. “Perhaps when I can give you more excitement, Iron Bull.” Cullen helped him up into the saddle, his energy almost spent. Cullen got on behind him, and took the reins.

“On we go,” Cullen said quietly, and off they rode.

Several hours passed as they rode through the night, Dorian conjuring a magelight to keep their party illuminated. Adrios listened to Dorian and Iron Bull bicker/flirt for a while, processing through everything that had happened.

“Cullen,” Adrios said quietly, after they had rode in silence for a while.

“Hmm?” Cullen seemed to be on alert, watching all around for ambush.

“I’m sorry,” Adrios murmured, trying to keep himself alert as well. _Everything I have is just so burnt out right now._

There was a pause. “For what?” Cullen asked in confusion.

“For what I said at the bridge,” Adrios said in the same quiet voice.

There was another pause. “Don’t concern yourself, Adrios. I know you’ve been stressed and—”

“I watched you die,” Adrios interrupted, and felt Cullen’s body still behind him. “In the rift. We were sent into the future. And you died protecting me.”

There was another pause. “That’s my job, Adrios.” Adrios felt his cheeks warm slightly. “Did…anything else happen?”

“Uh…” Adrios said quietly. “Lots. But…I’m not sure if you’re…prepared to hear what you said to me.” _Is he breathing?_ Cullen’s body had grown extremely still. “Uh…you also told me that you had stopped taking lyrium?”

“Ah,” Cullen said, sighing slightly. “Yes. For several months now. I stopped after Cassandra recruited me in Kirkwall. I…can’t be tied to that life anymore. I don’t want to be leashed to drug that will kill me.”

“But…” Adrios said quietly. “Withdrawal could kill you.” Cullen didn’t respond. “Um. So…headaches. Nightmares. Chills. Stomach upset. Has it been bad?”

“I’ve had worse,” Cullen replied quietly.

“Well,” Adrios said, turning his head to look Cullen in the eye. The flash of amber eyes disoriented him for a moment, and he swayed a little. He felt one of Cullen’s arms wrap around him to keep him in place. “Oh. Sorry. Anyway. I’ll do what I can to help keep the symptoms tolerable. I’ll make some remedies when we return.” Adrios turned to look back down the road. “Thank you Cullen…for trusting me with the truth.”

“Of course, Adrios,” Cullen replied quietly, and they continued riding in silence.

Cullen did not remove his arm from around Adrios’ stomach.


	11. Only the Briefest Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrios and party get a brief period of rest.

Chapter 11 – Only the Briefest Respite

_Knock knock knock._

Adrios blinked his eyes blearily. He was lying in his bed in Haven, still in his tunic and breeches. _How did I get here…?_ His mind slowly went back through his memories. _I think I nodded off while we were riding back to Haven…I remember Cullen having to carry me back here…._

“Herald? Are you awake?” An unfamiliar voice called. Adrios sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glanced out the window and saw that it was still fairly early, about the ninth morning bell if he were to guess. “Herald?” The voice called again nervously, knocking on his door again.

“Yes?” Adrios called, unable to keep the exhaustion from his voice.

“S-sorry to bother you Herald,” The voice stammered out. “Sister Leliana and Commander Cullen request your presence at the War Room.”

_Of fucking course they do._ Adrios rubbed his face irritably. He’d never been a morning person. “Tell them I will be there within the hour.”

“Of course Your Worship!” The voice called in to him, and he heard footsteps hurrying away.

Adrios sighed deeply and stood up. He quickly stripped out of his dirty clothes and summoned water to his tub again. He scrubbed himself clean of the grime from his foray into the future, and dressed in a plain light blue tunic and a clean pair of his black breeches. He pulled on his boots and was about to leave when he remembered part of the conversation with Cullen the night before. He bit his lip nervously but then he steeled himself. _They woke me up, they can fucking wait._ He smiled to himself a little as he strode out the door. He walked over to a merchant that had set up right inside the front gates. He had always seemed a little shady to Adrios, but that was unsurprising since he had been the first to set up to attempt to prey upon the pilgrims.

“Herald!” The man—Seggrit? Adrios thought wildly, trying to remember the man’s name—greeted him warmly. “What can I interest you in today?”

“I’m looking for something specific,” Adrios said quietly, looking at the man’s wares. “Do you have any gemstones or semiprecious stones?”

Seggrit’s eyebrows rose. He reached under the counter of his stall and pulled out a small metal lockbox. “I don’t have many, what I do have were mostly sold to me recently.” He opened the box and Adrios leaned over to look into it. The box was about six inches deep, and it was mostly full of semiprecious stones. Adrios thumbed through them idly, seeing that several had been set into pendants or rings. Finally, he found one that would do.

“This one,” Adrios handed it to Seggrit. It was a small tigers eye, about the size of a royal and oblong in shape. Seggrit nodded and took the box back, and Adrios handed a few coins over as payment. “Oh. Do you have any cord?” Adrios was running his fingers over the stone idly, feeling the smoothness along his fingers. Adrios glanced back up at Seggrit to see he was holding out a length of cord, about two feet long. Adrios gave him another coin and took the cord in his other hand. He strode away from the market and out the large gates, turning towards the smithy. A few minutes later, he was walking back into Haven with the stone and cord in his pocket. Harritt had been quick to put a hole into the stone for him, and he thankfully had enough skill to make the small hole Adrios had requested without damaging the stone.

Adrios strode up the path towards the Chantry, thinking over options in his head. He pushed the doors open and saw Josephine speaking with a dwarf. The dwarf was wearing loose leather closing and had a hood drawn up over her head. “My miners appreciate your business,” The dwarf was saying to Josephine in a courteous voice. “You’ll have your lyrium by the end of the week.” The dwarf noticed Adrios approaching and bowed her head to Josephine. “I’ll take my leave. Good day.” The dwarf strode off out of the Chantry, and Josephine noticed Adrios approaching.

“Ah! Good morning Herald,” Josephine curtsied, and Adrios grinned at her.

“I still don’t understand why you can’t call me Adrios Josie,” Adrios said, raising an eyebrow as he smiled.

“If you are going to be treated seriously, it must be by all of us,” Josephine inclined her head.

“If you say so,” Adrios shrugged. “Who were you meeting with just now?”

“Ah,” Josephine said slowly, scratching her chin with the tip of her quill. “That was a merchant. We reached out to the dwarves to secure a formal trading contract for lyrium, and we finally have enough notoriety that they are accepting our contract.” Josephine frowned. “Although the Chantry is not very happy that we have secured such a thing.”

“Of course not,” Adrios chuckled. “For years, lyrium could only be secured through the Chantry. It makes us much more formidable than they expect.”

Josephine nodded. “Still. With the mages joining us and the templars soon to be coming, we will need access to lyrium.” She sighed, before seeming to come to herself suddenly. “Oh yes, I believe Leliana mentioned you were on your way for the debriefing?” Adrios nodded, his lips thinning as they pressed together tightly. “I shall join you then.” She smiled her charming smile, and the two of them walked through the doors.

Leliana and Cullen looked up from their respective reports when the doors opened. “Ah, Herald. Good of you to join us…” Leliana raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her face.

“You sent for me?” Adrios folded his arms, still just a little grumpy at having been woken up.

Leliana frowned slightly. “Yes, I thought it might be best for us to discuss what happened yesterday. I understand it didn’t happen quite according to plan. But if we are going to proceed, we will need to have a full understanding of what happened.”

Adrios sighed and nodded. “Is Dorian joining us for the debriefing?”

Leliana’s mouth quirked into a slight smile. “He told my scout to jump off a cliff, and did not answer my summons.”

_Well I was sorely tempted to do the same._ Adrios gave Leliana a tiny smile, and sighed again. “So, we entered the castle…”

* ~ *

Adrios nibbled on some food. After an hour of talking with no end in sight, Josephine had sent for some food and drinks to be brought to the War Room. He had finished explaining everything that had happened, taking about three hours after they had pressed him for every single detail. Now, Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine were talking quietly together. _I skipped over much of Cullen’s story, but I don’t think I fooled Leliana._ A quick glance showed Leliana watching him. _I didn’t think so._

“I will need to investigate what happened in this dark future,” Leliana said to Adrios finally. “A demon army? Celene assassinated? And this Elder One…”

“For now, however,” Josephine said brightly. “I secured the final alliance this morning Herald. The nobles are currently riding here to meet with us. However, they will not be stopping. Only picking you and several of your party up. They should be here tomorrow morning.” Adrios heaved a sigh. “I apologize that you aren’t able to have a longer rest Herald, but—”

“No, it’s fine,” Adrios rubbed the back of his neck. “I would leave today if I could. I’m worried, since they said that templars were being corrupted. And they attempted to corrupt Cullen. Corrupt them how…?” Adrios looked up to see Cullen was watching him intently. “I believe I will bring Cassandra, Vivienne, and Varric with me.”

“And Iron Bull,” Cullen said promptly, making Adrios look at him curiously.

“Uh…” Adrios watched Cullen color slightly under his gaze. “If he wants to, yes. I wouldn’t ask it of him since he went with us yesterday.” Cullen quickly looked away, down at his reports. _Odd._ “Was there anything else?”

“A few mages from Redcliffe have arrived,” Leliana said, looking down at a report on the table. “Ones that had escaped before Alexius had been dealt with. Some of them would like to speak with you when you have a chance. One of them was Connor Teagan, I believe.”

Adrios felt his eyes widen. “ _The_ Connor?” Leliana nodded grimly. “I’m surprised he returned to Redcliffe.”

“I don’t believe he was given a choice,” Leliana said with a frown.

Adrios rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That reminds me…have you heard anything out of Ostwick?”

“Nothing new,” Leliana raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“My Circle was still there, along with its templars,” Adrios said, looking down at the table. “They never left or disbanded. I’m just worried about them, with everything going on.”

Cullen and Leliana exchanged a look briefly. “We will look into Ostwick,” Cullen said, looking back to Adrios. “They may want to join the Inquisition, after all.”

_I don’t know if Belle would think it is a good idea for them to join._ Adrios thought, frowning at them. _Power corrupts._ “Was there anything else?”

“I don’t believe so,” Leliana smiled at him. “We will let you know if anything changes.”

“Can you let my Circle know to meet here this evening, around the sixth bell for the briefing?” Adrios asked. Leliana nodded, and looked to Cullen. “I have something for you, regarding our discussion yesterday. Can you come see me when you are done?”

Cullen glanced to Leliana before looking back at him. “I can spare a few minutes now, Ad—Herald.”

Adrios couldn’t stop himself from smiling. _He always tries to call me Herald in professional settings._ “May we use your office Lady Ambassador?” Adrios bowed deeply to her, rolling his head slightly to see her reaction.

Josephine giggled. “Of course Herald.” 

Adrios glanced back to Cullen jerked his head towards the door before turning and leaving the room. He walked to Josephine’s office, which was nearby and—thankfully—empty. He kept the door open for Cullen and walked inside towards the desk and leaned against it. Within moments, Cullen entered as well and closed the door quietly. “So, I’ll need your help to make this work.” Adrios said, pulling out the stone and cord. “Have you known any other spirit healers?”

“There was a Senior Enchanter in Fereldan that was a spirit healer,” Cullen replied quietly, rubbing the back of his neck and watching Adrios nervously. “Wynne, I believe her name was. I was a new recruit then, and didn’t interact directly with her.”

Adrios nodded slowly. “Well, Tranquil enchant items by inscribing lyrium onto them. I can impart…a memory, of sorts. A memory of healing, but it will need to be attuned to you in order for the memory to stay in the item. And obviously, it won’t be as powerful as an enchanted item. But my healing aura will regenerate the item. And it’ll slowly make you feel better as well, but that depends on how much time you spend around me.” Adrios had crossed his arms at this point, looking intently at Cullen.

Cullen, for his part, seemed a little taken aback. “I didn’t realize you could do this.”

Adrios shrugged. “Spirit healers are extremely rare, but yeah. I can do this. I just need it to be attuned to you for it to work.”

“And…how do I attune this?” Cullen pointed at the stone and cord in Adrios’ hands.

Adrios felt his cheeks color slightly. “Well, you have to be holding it while I’m working the spell. So—” Adrios stepped forward towards him and held out the stone and cord.

Cullen reached out and took the stone and cord hesitantly. “What do I do?”

Adrios stepped closer, every cell of his body aware of how close he was to Cullen at this point. “Hold the stone and concentrate on it. You don’t have mana to push into the stone, but you need to focus your will upon it.” Cullen looked down at the stone, away from the green eyes that were close enough to make my his heart beat faster. He stared at the brown stone, focusing on the swirls of gold and black that twisted through the tiny stone. “Yes…” Adrios whispered, placing his hands gently on Cullen’s so that together their hands were encircling the stone. Adrios focused his mana, pouring it through Cullen’s energies and into the stone. He felt the stone shiver between their hands and it began to grow warm, as if it had been sitting out in the sun for hours. Adrios ignored Cullen’s look of shock, and continued to focus his energies. At last, he felt the stone reach its peak and he cut the magic off abruptly. The stone glowed briefly, before fading away.

“Wow,” Cullen said, staring at the stone between his fingers. It felt warm and comforting, and it felt like a tiny piece of Adrios, for lack of better words.

Adrios sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. _That took more out of me than I was expecting._ “Yeah. So, if you keep that on your person, it will help to lessen your symptoms. I didn’t know what would work best for you, so I made a small hole so you could wear it as a pendant.” He sighed heavily. “And it may help prevent you from losing a keepsake, like I lost mine.”

“You…lost your keepsake,” Cullen seemed to say it almost to himself, and Adrios raised an eyebrow at him curiously as Cullen rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I haven’t been able to find it since I was kidnapped,” Adrios shrugged. “I thought I left it somewhere here in Haven, but I can’t find it. It’s a coin with my family crest on it, and I usually use it as something to worry my fingers on.”

Cullen seemed to shift his feet a little before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a familiar silver coin. “I…uh…found it. When we were searching for you. And I just…couldn’t find the right time to give it back to you.”

Adrios felt his eyebrows raise and he reached out a hand automatically to take it back. He hesitated after a second, looking between Cullen and the coin in his hand. _He’s been holding onto it these last few days. And future Cullen didn’t mention it either…I’m going to follow my instinct on this one._ Adrios reached out tentatively and closed Cullen’s fingers around the coin. “You keep it Cullen.” Adrios searched Cullen’s face for a moment, trying to find the words without scaring him away. “I mean…hold onto it. For me. For now.” He realized that he was still holding Cullen’s hand and quickly released it, and Cullen’s face was a mixture of emotions that made it very hard to decipher.

“Uh….sure,” Cullen looked down at his hand before coughing nervously. “I should…get back to the meeting. Thank you again. For the…charm. Adrios.” He bobbed his head and left the room, scurrying out but attempting to not look like he was fleeing.

Adrios sighed heavily as the door shut and he rubbed his face. _I’m too tired for all of this right now. I’m going to go back to sleep, until our meeting this evening. There is so much I could be doing to help right now…but I just…can’t._ Adrios strode out of Josephine’s office, turning to leave the Chantry. _I wish Belle was here. Or Lydia. I miss having someone that I could talk to about this…although, I never had boy problems in the Circle. None of the men there were even slightly interesting to me._ He sighed tiredly, rubbing his forehead with his left hand as he pushed open the doors of the Chantry with his right.

Adrios froze in his tracks, the door wide open and showing a huge group of angry people. Words were being shouted between groups of people, with a clear line seeming to be drawn between Mages and Templars. Some of the people were just ordinary folk, but they apparently had strong opinions. _This…could get ugly._ Adrios left the door open wide and turned around, his exhaustion suddenly gone. He ran back towards the War Room as he heard the voices outside growing increasingly louder and more agitated.

He burst into the War Room, causing Cullen to reach for his sword and Josephine to make a very undignified squawk of alarm. _If it wasn’t so serious, I’d be laughing at what Josephine just did._ “Sorry to interrupt, but there’s a mob outside.” Adrios said, trying to not allow his panic to betray his words. Leliana and Cullen both exchanged a look and strode for the door. The door hadn’t even shut behind them when Adrios turned to Josephine with a raised eyebrow. “Is it just me, or are they not surprised by this?”

Josephine sighed quietly. “Tensions have been high here in Haven for the last few days. The rogue mages and templars that you recruited from the Hinterlands seem to still have some grudges, and we were making plans in case something like this happened.” She shrugged, and looked back down to the War Table and the reports she was reviewing. “It was a matter of time, unfortunately.”

Adrios bit his lip and left the War Room, striding back down the length of the Chantry. He could hear Cullen shouting outside, telling people that they needed to set their anger aside because they are a part of the Inquisition now.

“What does that mean, exactly?” A loud voice said in a ringing voice. Adrios felt his heart sink down towards his knees, and he slipped out the door. A priest in Chantry robes had parted the large crowd with his presence, and as he drew nearer Adrios realized his guess had been correct.

“Chancellor Roderick,” Cullen said in a tired voice. “Back already?”

“I am indeed back from Val Royeaux, having spoken to the Revered Mothers to tell them all about this heretical movement,” Chancellor Roderick said in ringing tones, the mob all but silent now. “And I am merely curious what being a part of the Inquisition entails. Exactly how your ‘Inquisition’ and its ‘Herald’ are going to restore peace and order as you’ve promised.” Adrios felt his lips curve downwards into a grimace.

“Of course you are,” Cullen said in an irritated voice. “All of you!” Cullen raised his voice and he saw all of the individual people in the mob seem to come to themselves at his voice. “Back to your duties!” The crowd quickly dispersed at Cullen’s irate tone, and Adrios slowly approached Cullen’s side.

“And here comes the heretic now,” Roderick said in an icy tone, causing Cullen to look around. He spotted Adrios and a small smile came across his face.

“Just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything Cullen,” Adrios said quietly, ignoring Roderick.

“Not at all Herald,” Cullen inclined his head to him before turning back to Chancellor Roderick. Adrios saw the grimace that Cullen had when facing the Chancellor, and Adrios made good his escape. _Him being here is not going to make things easier for us. Cullen will probably have to increase the amount of soldiers on duty in Haven…_

Adrios frowned as he walked the path back to his cabin. _Things can never be easy, can they._

“Adrios!” Adrios turned to look and saw that Varric was a few feet behind him. From the bemused expression on his face, he gathered that Varric had been following him and shouting his name. “Stuck in your head much Slick?”

Adrios rubbed the back of his head and laughed. “Yeah. Sorry Varric.”

“Do you need a friendly ear?” Varric crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow. “I’ve got two here, and I won’t even charge you for the service.”

“I…” Adrios hesitated. “I wouldn’t want to burden you with what’s on my mind.”

Varric produced two bottles of liquor from pockets of his coat. “I’ll take that as a yes. Lead on, Slick.”

About half a bottle of the liquor later, Adrios had explained what had happened in the rift in detail. Varric was now the third person to know what truly happened in the rift, and Adrios wanted to keep this information quiet.

Varric swirled the liquor in the glass he was holding before taking a quick swig of it. “You need to give Curly time, Slick.” He looked up at Adrios. Adrios was sitting on his bed, and Varric was sitting in the desk chair next to the bed.

“I know,” Adrios sighed, putting his head in his hands. “I know, it’s just so hard…I saw the future with him loving me and it’s just so…”

Varric was silent for a moment. “Cullen was part of the Kirkwall Circle,” He said finally, looking up at Adrios again. “I don’t know the specifics of what happened when he was a part of the Fereldan Circle, but I know that being Meredith’s second-in-command was not an easy job. I’m sure that he did a lot of things that he regrets, but he was even-handed in all of his dealings with Hawke. He is a good guy, but you have to remember that as far as I can tell, this is his first relationship in a very long time. It may be his first relationship ever. To say nothing of whether this is his first relationship with a guy.”

“Oh right,” Adrios rolled his eyes, taking another swig of liquor. “I keep forgetting the Fereldan’s think that’s taboo.” He sighed deeply. “It’s just hard…knowing he will eventually feel the same. When he’s the only one that can stop my panic attacks.”

Varric stared at Adrios for another long moment before he set his glass down. “Did you ever read The Tale of the Champion?”

Adrios raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Took it with a grain of salt, obviously, but I read it shortly after you published it.”

“Hawke and Anders,” Varric crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair.

“Ah,” Adrios took another swig of his drink. “Star-crossed lovers.” Varric stared at him for a moment, and Adrios coughed awkwardly. “Sorry.”

“Look,” Varric said seriously. “Serious talk here.” Adrios sat up straighter and watched Varric. “Hawke was the youngest in his family. He had twin siblings, and his sister Bethany was killed before leaving Lothering. Then Carver turns out to be a massive dick, and his mother blames Hawke for breaking the family up even though he did all he could. And then his mother is hacked up by a serial murderer, and Hawke’s left on his own.” Adrios stared, his smile fading more with every word Varric said. “Anders was a healer in the slums under Kirkwall. Treating refugees without asking for payment, and Hawke ran into him by accident.” Varric smiled at the memory. “It was love at first sight. Or maybe lust.” Varric straightened up. “But he was there through the whole thing for Hawke. But then…he blew up the Chantry, and Hawke was forced to cut him down where he sat.” Adrios watched Varric in silence. “The point behind this incredibly summed up story is that I don’t want you to go down the same path that Hawke had to tread. You have lots of people to rely on, and I don’t want you to go the same way.”

Adrios looked at Varric for a long time, before draining the rest of his glass. “Thank you Varric.” He swallowed hard. “Is this where you and I have hot drunk sex?”

Varric stared at him with a startled look on his face, before laughing loudly. “Not tonight Slick.” He stood up and clapped a hand on Adrios’ shoulder. “Just remember. Give Curly time, and he may surprise you.”

Varric walked out of the cabin, leaving Adrios watching after him.


	12. Champions of the Just

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrios and party go to Therinfal Redoubt.

Chapter 12 – Champions of the Just

“Adrios.”

“Adrios!”

Adrios blinked his eyes and realized that Cassandra had been calling his name. They were in a carriage on their way to Therinfal Redoubt. There was a whole caravan of carriages filled with nobles from Orlais, and their carriage was at the head of the train. Cassandra, Vivienne, Iron Bull, and Varric were in the carriage with him, and they had pushed a punishing pace to get to Therinfal as quickly as possible.

“Sorry about that,” Adrios muttered, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.

“It’s perfectly fine my dear,” Vivienne said in her gracious way. “You haven’t had much time to rest.”

“Besides, you don’t snore,” Varric beamed at him, making Adrios laugh.

“I’m not sure how you’re able to sleep in here Boss,” Iron Bull grumbled. The carriage was spacious by human standards, but Iron Bull was having to slouch for his horns to not be through the roof.

“I’d think that you’d be comfortable squeezing into tight spaces Bull,” Adrios said innocently. Varric roared with laughter while Cassandra rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, but Adrios saw a ghost of a smile for a moment. Vivienne merely ignored them, and Bull cocked an eyebrow suggestively at Adrios. “So, Seeker!” Adrios turned his attention back to Cassandra. “The plan again?”

“It’s the game of diplomacy my dear,” Vivienne said in her lofty tones.

“Right,” Cassandra said in a bored voice. “Smile and make the polite noises and hope the Lord Seeker is impressed.”

Adrios crossed his arms and frowned. “We will offer them an alliance if we get the opportunity. We can’t afford to ally with one side and not the other.” No one replied, but Adrios hadn’t expected them to. The carriage suddenly bumped and it was obvious that the quality of the road had changed. He leaned forward and looked out the window. Their carriage was rolling along the cobbled road leading to the outer gates of Therinfal. Adrios could see the towers and battlements in the distance and couldn’t stop himself from fidgeting in his tunic nervously. Josephine had vetoed his armor and selected the deep green embroidered tunic he had and she had produced a black frock coat and matching gloves. It was definitely still needing to be broke in.

Within moments, the carriage had rolled to a stop before a large gateway, the heavy portcullis having already been raised. There was a bit of a pause before the driver opened the door silently. Adrios—being closest to the door—moved to get out first but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Adrios glanced back and saw Iron Bull had stopped him so Adrios sat back down with a curious look at him. Iron Bull squeezed past and got out of the carriage first. After a moment of him inspecting the surroundings, he turned and jerked his head towards the rest of them. Adrios slid out next, followed by Vivienne and Varric. Cassandra got out last and the driver shut the door quietly behind her.

Adrios looked out and saw the mass of carriages slowing to a stop and the army of nobles slowly amassing behind them. Adrios felt his heart speed up. _I hope this meeting goes better than Redcliffe._ One noble separated from the crowd that was slowly beginning to move through the gateway. “Herald of Andraste!” Adrios’ first impression of this man was ‘pompous fool’. He was dressed in fine silks with a garish gold mask, and he held himself with the air of someone that has always gotten his way. Adrios forced a smile to his face as the man got within touching distance of him. “Lord Esmeral Abernache.” He gave Adrios a short bow, and Adrios gave a deeper one back (knowing that was what was expected.) “Quite honored to participate in this, it’s not unlike the second dispersal of the reclaimed Dales.” Adrios felt his eyebrows shoot up into his hairline, and thankfully Lord Abernache looked away before he could read the incredulous expression on his face. Lord Abernache had noticed Vivienne, which had given Adrios an opportunity to school his face back into a polite mask. “Lady Vivienne! So wonderful to see you again…we met at last summer’s ball? The Duke introduced us.”

“Indeed,” Vivienne smiled, but her expression was chilly. “I could not possibly forget the occasion.” Vivienne’s voice made it clear she would’ve very much liked to have forgotten him and she walked past Abernache, followed by Cassandra and Varric. Adrios expected Iron Bull to follow them, but Iron Bull was looking at the fortifications with a bored expression on his face.

Lord Abernache did not seem perturbed in the slightest by Vivienne’s brushing off and turned back to Adrios. “The Lord Seeker is willing to hear our petition about closing the Breach. A credit to our alliance with the Inquisition.” He gestured grandly, a broad smile visible on his face even with the mask. “Care to mark the moment? Ten Orlesian Houses walk with you!”

Adrios gave an easy smile to Lord Abernache. “Of course Lord Abernache. It’s an honor to be among so many noble houses, and the Inquisition greatly values this alliance. We must ensure that the templars see reason. We can’t allow the Breach to endanger us any longer.”

“Ah yes,” Lord Abernache said, his mouth forming a moue of distaste. “Ghastly looking thing isn’t it?” Adrios kept his facial expression perfectly still in the charming smile, even though he would’ve very much liked to slap this Lord Abernache about the face. “The Lord Seeker can’t think we are ignoring it.” He beckoned Adrios and started walking through the gates. Adrios sighed a little and followed, hearing Iron Bull follow quietly behind. “Speaking of which, I don’t suppose you’ll divulge what finally got their attention? Rumor will…if you won’t.”

Adrios raised an eyebrow at Lord Abernache. “What do you mean? I thought it was this promise of an alliance that prompted this meeting?”

Abernache shook his head. “The Lord Seeker won’t meet with us until he greets the Inquisition ‘in person.’ Quite a surprise after the spat you had in Val Royeaux.” Adrios stared at him in surprise, which made Abernache laugh. “But that look you have shows me that you are as unaware of these developments as we are. It must have been arranged by the Lady Ambassador. Let the diplomats work their magic, if you trust them.” They were nearing the second set of gates that led to the inner keep of Therinfal. “Between you and I, the Chantry never took advantage of their templars. Wiser heads should steer them.” _Don’t react Adrios. Keep your face calm._ “Here we are!” Abernache announced cheerily, and Adrios noticed that the others were waiting there for him. Adrios gave them a dark look before Abernache continued speaking. “Ah, it seems the Templars sent someone to speak with you.” Abernache turned to look at Adrios, his mouth downturned. “Present well. Everyone is a little tense for my liking.”

Adrios watch Lord Abernache leave before turning to the others. “Thanks for leaving with that asshole guys,” Adrios said quietly. “Thankfully Bull stayed, in case I ended up needing someone to cleave him in two.”

Iron Bull laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Always happy to help Boss.”

Varric was looking around the fortifications, frowning. “This all just screams ‘I hate fun and kick puppies.’” He glanced at Cassandra, smirking slightly.

“Don’t even say it dwarf,” Cassandra said curtly, and Adrios snickered. “These nobles will be useful for currying favor, but none of this should be necessary. Surely the Lord Seeker can see the true threat? What is he playing at…”

“According to Lord Abernache,” Adrios walked forward cautiously with the others following close behind, “the Lord Seeker changed his mind about us rather quickly. Is he known for that?”

“The Lord Seeker isn’t reputed to be fickle,” Vivienne replied, her voice just as even and charming as ever. “Something must have changed.” 

“So much for things being easy,” Adrios muttered under his breath, walking further down the road leading towards the main keep. He could hear nobles berating templars that were standing and watching Adrios walk in further. _I almost feel sorry for them._ Adrios felt his lips curl into a smile. _None of them are trained in Orlesian social graces. That one over there is threatening to have the Empress intervene directly in these events. As if she isn’t trying to avoid being overthrown by her brother._

Adrios recognized the templar that stood waiting for Adrios to approach, and Lord Abernache cut in front of Adrios to walk ahead of him. _He literally stood there and waited for me, and then cut me off. What a—no, deep breath Adrios._ The man that had been silently accompanying Ser Abernache spoke up, his voice polite and even. “I present Knight-Templar Ser Delrin Barris, second son of Bann Jevrin Barris of Fereldan.” The man paused briefly before continuing. “Ser Barris, may I be so honored as to present Lord Esmeral—” Barris’ eyes locked on Adrios and he walked past both Abernache and his herald.

“I’m the one who sent word to Cullen,” Barris said quietly. “He said the Inquisition works to close this Breach in the Veil.” He glanced at Abernache, not even attempting to hide his distaste. “I didn’t think you’d bring such lofty company.”

“Barris?” Abernache interjected, clearly put out since he was being so thoroughly ignored in favor of Adrios. “Moderate holdings, your family. And second son?” He scoffed.

“Your Lord Seeker wouldn’t allow us to arrange for a meeting to discuss the Breach without our noble allies,” Adrios said quietly, looking Barris in the eye and allowing some of his annoyance to show on his face as well.

Barris looked troubled. “This…promise of status has garnered interest from the Lord Seeker. Beyond sense.” He sighed. “The sky burns with magic, but he ignores all calls to action until your friends arrive.”

“Is this normal for a Lord Seeker Cassandra?” Adrios asked, keeping the same quiet tone as he glanced at Cassandra.

She looked troubled. “In an emergency…if there’s no other recourse…but his goal should be to return them to order.”

“He has taken command,” Barris said grimly. “Permanently.”

“If he feels there is a holy mandate…” Cassandra’s frown deepened.

“That is what the Lord Seeker claims,” Barris frowned, “and our commanders parrot him.” He crossed his arms in front of him. “His actions make no sense. He promised to restore the Order’s honor, then marches us here to wait? Templars should know their duty…even when held from it.”

Vivienne laughed, her voice rich like cream. “A templar that remembers his responsibilities? I am reassured.”

Barris’ eyes took on a panicked look, and his voice became urgent. “Win over the Lord Seeker, and every able-bodied knight will help the Inquisition seal the Breach.”

Adrios sighed deeply. “Somehow I suspect it won’t be as easy as going in and batting my eyelashes.”

Barris quirked a small smile. “I wish I could reassure you. Lately he sees no one but the officers.” He looked away, guilt plain on his face. “We’ve been asked to accept much after that shameful display in Val Royeaux. Our truth changes on the hour.”

“Don’t keep your betters waiting templar!” Abernache snapped finally. “There’s important work for those born to it.” Adrios refrained from rolling his eyes; Barris didn’t even attempt to keep from rolling his eyes. Barris turned on his heel and led the party deeper into the keep. It was a little oddly positioned, with the second set of gates leading to stables and another set of smaller gates that led to a courtyard, which had doors leading into the castle proper.

Barris stopped in this courtyard, however. What now. Adrios thought with no small amount of irritation. “The Lord Seeker has a…request before you meet him.” Adrios followed Barris to a small series of flag poles. There were three flagpoles, and three bright flags holding familiar sigils. “These are the Standards. An honored rite centered on the people, the Maker, and the Order. The Lord Seeker asks that you perform the rite, so that he may see the order in which you honor them.”

Adrios gave Barris an incredulous look. “What purpose would this serve? The Inquisition came here to try and garner support for the Breach.”

“He’s not doing this for the Inquisition,” Barris said in an undertone, making Adrios stare at him. “The Lord Seeker changed everything to meet you. Not the Inquisition—you. By name.”

“Why?” Adrios asked, his face bewildered.

“I don’t know,” Barris shrugged, frustration finally leaking through as he rubbed his forehead. “He’s been fixated on you ever since your horde of nobles arrived.”

“The Lord Seeker makes you—and by extension, me—shuffle flags around? Refuse!” Lord Abernache said indignantly, and Adrios finally lost the battle to avoid rolling his eyes.

“Lord Abernache is correct Barris,” Adrios said in a brisk voice. “Take us to meet the Lord Seeker. If he wishes to judge me, he can do so when he meets me.”

“The Lord Seeker’s request about the rituals was—” Barris began, crossing his arms in front of himself.

“Horseshit, my servants might say,” Abernache interrupted angrily. “Making you—”

“Lord Abernache,” Adrios said finally, the tone of his voice causing Abernache to go silent as Adrios fixed his gaze on him. Abernache seemed taken aback, and Adrios turned away from him before he could say anything. “Barris, I will accept responsibility for this refusal. But it is a refusal. Take us to meet the Lord Seeker.”

“Right,” Barris said, rubbing his forehead. “Follow me.” Barris led the way up into the foyer of the castle, the silence and tension thick between them all. _Josephine will have my head about snapping at Abernache. But he needs to be put in his place._ Barris led the way through the empty foyer and into the main hall, which had a large table in the center. There were a handful of templars in this room, but it was clear the majority of them were not highly ranked. “It was arranged that you would meet here.”

“And still we wait!” Abernache raged, and Adrios turned away to roll his eyes to Cassandra. He saw her give him a rare smile.

Adrios beckoned the others closer to him and they all drew in around him. “Be on your guard,” Adrios whispered. “I have a feeling that there is something wrong…and my feelings are never wrong.” They all nodded to him, and Adrios watched as they all nonchalantly spread out around the room. Iron Bull stayed close to his back, unsurprisingly. Adrios looked around silently, and he felt the prickle of unease worsen the longer he stayed in this room. Adrios took a deep breath and let his senses spread out around himself. The templars in this room seemed their normal selves, the blue tinge to their aura the normal colors of a templar. _A little reassuring, honestly, to be around normal templars after so long in Haven. Almost feels like…home._ He thought briefly on Ostwick Circle Tower, before pulling himself back to the here and now. The feeling seemed to have worsened since his mental absence, and he could hear Barris and Abernache bickering.

“It’s necessary, you know!” Abernache was saying in his pompous voice. “You don’t run a battlefield by committee!” _What in Maker’s name are they even talking about?_ Adrios rolled his eyes to himself.

“Without faith, you’ve no knights!” Barris countered. “You’ve—Knight-Captain?” Barris turned to look at a door that had opened silently and Adrios felt his sense of wrongness worsen. _These ones feel…warped. They even look warped…what happened to them?_

The man Barris had addressed—who wore finer armor than the rest—approached the table quietly. He stood facing Adrios and stared at him in a very unnerving fashion. “You were expecting the Lord Seeker.” The man said in a strange monotone. “He sent me to die for you.”

Adrios and Barris both exchanged a look before Abernache made a tiny polite cough. Adrios glanced at him and saw Abernache nodding to him as he slowly backed away. “He is…not well.” _No shit, idiot._ Abernache backed up until he got to almost the door.

“Knight-Captain Denam, I brought the Inquisition’s representatives as requested,” Barris asked respectfully. “Will the Lord Seeker not meet with them?”

The Knight-Captain didn’t turn to even acknowledge that Barris had spoken to him. He continued to stare at Adrios in a very unnerving way, without blinking. Adrios felt Iron Bull shift and suddenly Iron Bull was standing in slightly in front of him, to Adrios’ left. Adrios felt a slight reassurance that Bull had his back. “So, this is the Herald of Change.” Knight-Captain Denam didn’t even register that Iron Bull was now slightly blocking his view of Adrios, nor did he blink. Creepy. “You are the reason why everything must be moved ahead.”

“Riiiiight,” Adrios nodded slowly, glancing over to Barris. “Barris, I’m assuming that this isn’t normal behavior for the Knight-Captain?”

“I’ve tried to make us ready,” Knight-Captain Denam suddenly sounded sad. “I thought I knew the way.”

Barris strode over to the Knight-Captain, grabbing his shoulder and forcibly turning him so he was now facing him while he spoke to him. “Knight-Captain! I must know what’s going on!” Barris barked, standing tall against this man.

“You were all supposed to be changed!” Knight-Captain said angrily. “Now we must purge the questioning knights!” Adrios saw what was coming a moment before it happened, and he threw out his left hand. A powerful barrier sparked into life over himself and all the templars that had been…well, normal. Several more strange templars stepped out of the shadows and arrows were fired, blades flashed. They glanced off the barrier Adrios had thrown up not a moment too soon. “The Elder One is coming!” The Knight-Captain bellowed, drawing his sword. “None shall leave Therinfal who is not stained red!”

“Maker’s Breath,” Barris whispered, and the suspicious templars charged in with a battle cry. Adrios brought his hands together with a loud clap and a wave of force magic followed it, arcing out around the room and knocking everyone back a step. A bolt of frost whipped out of a corner and Adrios saw Vivienne bring down a templar before he had even noticed she was there. Varric shot a well-timed bolt that took down two templars that were standing close to one another, and Cassandra charged in with her shield. Iron Bull roared a battle cry, swinging his great axe down onto the ground with a tremendous crash that shook the room around him. Adrios took the opportunity to fire off three arcs of lightning that connected against templars and sent them to their knees, gibbering as they were electrocuted. Adrios looked back to the center of the room and saw an archer aiming at Abernache.

Adrios threw out his left hand again and a wave of force followed it, sending Abernache flying out the door behind him towards the courtyard. The arrow narrowly missed him as the force magic threw the arrow askew at the last moment, and the archer was quickly cut down by Varric. Adrios saw that Barris was managing to keep the Knight-Captain off-balance, but it was clear that the Knight-Captain was wearing him down. “Bull!” Adrios called, and Iron Bull turned quickly to look at him. Adrios pointed to the Knight-Captain and Bull gave him a wide grin. “Alive, Bull!” Adrios added, cocking an eyebrow and Iron Bull pouted before turning away. Iron Bull charged into the fray, giving a great leap to practically pounce over the table and he swung his great axe. The blunt side of the axe connected with the side of the Knight-Captain’s head, which was conveniently turned as he was occupied with fighting Barris. The axe literally rang his helmet like a bell; a loud clanging noise followed the man toppling over, motionless.

Adrios smiled and turned back to the room in time to dodge a sword slashing at him. Two templars were rushing him, and Adrios spun his staff deftly in his right hand and cracked the closest in the open spot of his helmet. It just so happened to be his face, and his staff collided with the man’s nose. The collision drove the man’s nose into his brain and killed him instantly, and Adrios blocked the other man’s sword strike with his staff as it stopped spinning. Adrios grinned at the man and threw out his free left hand to land on the man’s breastplate. As it connected, he channeled his mana and a terrible cold radiated into the man. He froze solid in a moment, long enough for the man’s face to change from rage to horror. Adrios then whirled his staff again and it cracked against the frozen man, causing it to shatter in a splatter of blood.

Adrios turned quickly to scan the room and saw that all of the threats had been dealt with. He approached Barris—who looked like he was close to having a nervous breakdown—and Iron Bull. “Is the Knight-Captain dead?” Adrios asked quietly, staring at Iron Bull with a raised eyebrow.

“No!” Iron Bull protested. “Just a concussion, if I were to guess.”

Adrios sighed. He knelt and concentrated. He could sense the damage done to the Knight-Captain, and he quickly healed the crack to the man’s skull. He stood back up, and turned to the unharmed normal templars. “Templars!” His voice cracked like a whip, and they all stood at attention. _That would almost be amusing, if the situation wasn’t so dire._ “Take the Knight-Captain back to the carriages. Bind his hands, and ensure he remains unharmed. Keep the nobles safe. We are going further into the castle.” He pointed at the recruit closest to him. “You!” The recruit jumped. Adrios walked over to him. “What’s your name?”

“Uh…Drenon, ser,” The recruit saluted him, fist over his chest.

“Drenon,” Adrios nodded. “The first carriage will have an Inquisition symbol on it. Inform the driver to tell the Nightingale that the Herald says ‘we have fallen.’ Can you tell him that for me?” The recruit nodded rapidly and ran out the door. Several recruits came over to bind the Knight-Captain and carry him out. Adrios turned to look at the others. Cassandra looked troubled, but Vivienne and Varric both seemed unfazed by the events. Iron Bull looked bored. Ser Barris… “Are you going to be alright Barris?” Adrios asked, walking over to him.

“Just…processing,” Barris sheathed his sword and held out a key ring. “I got his keys. Let us continue onward. I would question the Lord Seeker about this ‘Elder One.’”

“Well,” Adrios shrugged and began to walk towards the door that was still open that seemed to lead further into the keep, “let’s go then. But remember Barris—you need to follow my lead in this. Understood?” Adrios looked at him over his shoulder and saw Barris nod to him. The others began to follow him, Iron Bull loping forward to be close to him as he walked towards the door.

He stepped through the door and saw two figures turn. They wore the armor of a templar, but they were horribly disfigured with red crystal jutting from their skin. They screeched inhumanly and rushed Adrios. Adrios channeled his mana quickly and held up his left hand. A burst of bright green flames spewed from his outstretched hand and washed over the templars. Their screeches immediately turned into screams as the Veilfire ate away at the red lyrium embedded in their bodies, and they seemed to melt from the heat into steaming piles of goo. “Okay, that’s nasty.” Adrios wrinkled his nose.

“They…” Cassandra seemed at a loss for words, horror etched on her face. “They are monstrous!”

“Yes Seeker, we all noticed!” Vivienne shot back, her voice short as they continued down the hall.

“It’s horrible!” Cassandra continued, her voice starting to show anger.

They continued up the stairs leading further into the castle. Occasionally they would run into battles between tainted templars and regular templars, which they quickly ended and sent the untainted templars back to the carriages. Eventually, they reached another courtyard with about a dozen tainted templars being held back by four untainted templars.

“Prepare them!” A voice echoed around them, causing Adrios to freeze as they others rushed into battle. “Guide them to me!”

“Was that the Lord Seeker?” Adrios asked, throwing out Veilfire arrows to quickly take out several corrupted templars.

“Was what him?” Cassandra shouted, striking down a templar.

“That voice!” Adrios shouted back.

“Uh…I didn’t hear anything Boss,” Iron Bull had just cut down a templar and he turned to look quizzically at Adrios before charging another templar. Adrios stared after him, frozen in place as he considered the implications.

“You…will be _so much more_ …” The voice echoed again as they cut down the last templar. “I would know you…show me what you are!” Adrios looked between the faces of the others and saw that their faces weren’t registering hearing any of the words Adrios could hear.

“Well fought!” A templar shouted at them as they hurried back towards the carriages. “I’m not sure what’s happening Ser Barris, all the officers have turned into those…things!”

“That’s not reassuring,” Varric said in a low voice.

The party continued up the path, leading up along the battlements and deeper into the fortress. They cleared out several more patches of fighting before reaching a door that was in a recess by a large flight of stairs. “That…” Barris began, indicating the door. “That was the Knight-Vigilant’s office.” Adrios looked at Iron Bull and smirked. Iron Bull walked over and kicked the door open, shattering the lock and splintering the frame under his muscle. They walked inside and were immediately assaulted by the rank odor of a corpse. Adrios glanced around, holding his hand in front of his nose. He saw the body feet away from the desk in the corner of the room, with important-looking papers on the desk. Adrios heard a gasp and turned to see Barris walking into the room, looking at the body with horror on his face. “That…that’s him! The Lord Seeker said he died at the Conclave!”

“Then he is either a fool or a liar,” Vivienne replied smoothly, her voice cold and flat like steel.

“Was…” Barris swallowed, rubbing his forehead with his hand. “Was the Knight-Captain hiding the body for the Lord Seeker? Did he kill the man himself?” He sighed deeply. “Maker, what is happening to the Order?”

Adrios didn’t reply to him, merely attempted to not breathe in while grabbing the stack of papers off the desk and shoving them into his bag. He strode out of the room and took a deep breath out in the hallway, trying not to gag on the smell that lingered. Vivienne and Varric quickly followed, both of their faces showing equal amounts of distaste. Iron Bull lumbered out after them, looking amused at their discomfort. Cassandra and Barris came out last, both looking grave. “The Knight-Vigilant was highly respected…” Barris said quietly. “Now I’m forced to wonder how much of this war was the Lord Seeker and the Knight-Captain.”

“We must keep moving,” Adrios said after a moment, and he turned away to lead them up the stairs.

As they crested the top, the voice boomed out around Adrios again. “The Herald of Andraste!” The voice was mocking, then suddenly serious. “It’s time we became better acquainted…” Adrios could see a figure standing at the very top of the long flight of stairs, and they began to ascend. “Come…show me what kind of man you _really_ are.” Adrios felt his eyebrows furrow down and he pulled ahead of the others as he climbed the stairs two at a time. He finally ascended to the top and saw the figure was the Lord Seeker, turned away and facing the large oak doors leading to the throne room. He didn’t move an inch as the others slowly joined him.

Something is wrong. Adrios felt the prickle of unease again and he stepped forward towards the Lord Seeker. Rain began to fall lightly on them and Adrios blinked away a raindrop. That moment of blindness made him question the sudden movement he thought he saw, but then he realized the Lord Seeker had whipped around and lunged for him.

“At last,” The Lord Seeker breathed in his face as he pulled him forward, impossibly forward…and then Adrios had the sense of falling slowly through nothingness…

And then the world righted itself abruptly. Adrios gazed around as the world slowly came into view around him. He was in the dungeons of Haven, except everything had a misty appearance that made it seem otherworldly. _How did I get into the Fade?_ Adrios walked forward slowly, seeing the War Table in the distance. As he moved closer, scorched corpses that reminded him of the remains outside of the Temple of Sacred Ashes began to form around him. Their eyes glowed a menacing yellow and their faces still showing unimaginable pain and suffering.

He blinked and suddenly Cullen and Josephine were standing in front of him. Both of them had perfectly blank expressions, staring past Adrios as if they weren’t seeing him. Adrios stopped approaching, watching them warily. Movement out of the corner of his eye made him glance to his right, and he saw Leliana step out from behind a pillar. She adjusted her gloves and approaching him, a coy smile on her face. “Is this shape useful…?” Her voice asked, but it was also not her voice. The pitch was off, fluctuated in unnatural ways. It only hardened Adrios’ resolve. “Will it let me know you?” She spread her arms wide, gesturing to Adrios and his surroundings. “Everything tells me about you…” She walked over to Cullen— _the shape of Cullen,_ Adrios reminded himself sternly—and drew a dagger. Adrios felt his heartbeat speed up. _I know it’s not him but…_ “So will this…” She drew the dagger to Cullen’s throat, Cullen’s eyes still blank and lifeless. Adrios watched her without a word, pressing his lips tightly together. “Watch.” She whispered as she drew the dagger across his throat slowly. Blood gushed out everywhere, the body collapsing to the ground. Adrios didn’t react, pushed his horror and despair down deep within himself. _It’s not him. It can’t be him._

“What do you want, demon?” Adrios spat out, his eyes hard as steel. “Trying to imitate me? Copy me?”

“Are you trying to copy me?” The voice was no longer Leliana’s. It was deep and echoed across the room, distorted and unsettling in its tone. Leliana smirked at him and walked away, vanishing into the wall nearby.

Josephine giggled, the sound twisted and making Adrios uneasy. She had picked up the same dagger the Leliana-form had used to kill Cullen and was twirling it in her fingers. “Being you…will be so much more… _interesting_ , compared to being the Lord Seeker.” She paced around Adrios, giggling again. Adrios refused to move an inch, instead following her with his eyes. As she left his peripheral vision though, he could sense she had vanished. Adrios turned around finally, searching the dark and disorienting landscape for the familiar gold-and-black outfit that Josephine wore. “Do you know what the Inquisition can become?” The words seemed to be whispered into his ear, and Adrios couldn’t help the startled noise he made. He whipped around, searching wildly with his heart thumping hard in his ears. Nothing. _Calm down, Adrios._ Adrios took a deep breath and found the center within himself, allowing his emotions to settle down. Another tittering laugh came from all around him. “When I’m done, the Elder One will kill you and ascend. And then…I will _be_ you.”

“Who…or what is this Elder One?” Adrios said calmly into the darkness, listening all around.

The same tittering laugh, which was starting to grate on Adrios’ nerves. “He is…in-between. Mortal once, but no longer.” Josephine stepped back into his peripheral view, but Adrios didn’t react. He simply followed her with his eyes as she slowly walked back in front of him. Josephine’s face was extremely serious now. “Glory is coming. And the Elder One wants you to serve him like everyone else…by _dying_ in the right way.”

“Keep talking then,” Adrios said in a bored voice, watching as Josephine’s face contorted briefly into rage. It was such an alien expression on Josephine’s face. She turned and stalked away, vanishing into another wall.

“I am not your toy!” Cullen’s voice—distorted like the others—spoke from behind Adrios, causing him to turn to look at him. He was unharmed following his murder moments prior, his voice still making Adrios’ heart pound even though he could hear the distortions. “I am Envy! And I will know you.” He walked forward towards Adrios, the anger fading slowly from his face. “Tell me what you see.” He drew very close, running his thumb along Adrios’ jaw slowly. “Tell me what you feel…” Cullen whispered, and the distortions in his voice were almost gone. It was almost enough for Adrios to lose himself, to get lost in the feel of Cullen.

Almost.

Adrios slapped the hand away.

Except the hand was gone. The War Table was gone, the room was suddenly bare. Just the strange distortions in the air. Adrios took a shaky breath and saw a doorway ahead that most certainly hadn’t been there a moment ago. He walked forward, passing quickly through the doorway.

The world around him was suddenly his room in the Ostwick Circle of Magi. He could see everything was just like he had left it, books still stacked on his desk and nightstand. Except the distortions could still be seen as ripples in the air, and he walked over and pushed open his bedroom door. He walked slowly through the empty hallway leading towards the stairs, and he quickly ascended the stairs instinctually.

The world shifted again, showing the Chantry that he had been staying in prior to the Conclave. He saw figures moving in the darkness around him now, viscous yellow eyes in their eye sockets. He saw a templar approach him, the smell of alcohol on him. Adrios gritted his teeth and pushed the phantom away, the figure dissolving into nothingness. Laughter surrounded him. “Afraid to be close to people, even when you have nothing to lose…” Adrios took another shaky breath and walked towards the door that led to the basement, pushing it open and walking through.

The world shifted, showing the cell he had woken up in at Haven with Cassandra standing over him. Except it was obviously not Cassandra; some features were wrong on her face and her voice was contorted. Adrios strode past the Cassandra-figure, pushing open the door that he knew led deeper into the dungeon. This time, the scene didn’t change. Figures appeared outside the door, two Inquisition soldiers and a shape that looked very much like Adrios.

“Our enemies have surrendered unconditionally!” One scout said, joy in her face and no trace of distortions.

“The Inquisition’s strength rivals any kingdom in Thedas!” The other scout said, beaming in all directions.

“Our reach—” The Adrios figure said, except the voice was so distorted it was hard to understand “—begins to match my ambition…but we will strive for more.”

Adrios rolled his eyes. “Except this isn’t what the Inquisition is here for. What are you trying to do? What do you hope to make the Inquisition do, with you calling the shots?”

“Accusing…” The demon’s voice echoed, only distortion and no trace of Adrios in his voice now. “Trying to find my weakness? Is that the man you are?” The demon cackled loudly, and there was a snap and the figures vanished into smoke. Adrios rolled his eyes and stepped forward. As he did, there was a rushing noise and flames filled the corridor in front of him. Adrios’ eyebrows shot up and he hastily took a step back. “The Inquisition will be glorious after you die at the hands of the Elder One…”

“You’re hurting, helpless, hasty. What happens to the hammer when there are no more nails?” A quiet voice asked. There were no distortions, and there was no malice in the voice. Just a quiet observation, but Adrios knew it was exactly the words to say.

“What are you?” Envy hissed. “Get out! This is _my_ place!”

Adrios felt a cool rush of energy and looked to his right. There was suddenly a door in the hallway, a door that he knew didn’t exist in Haven. He opened the door and walked in. It was a spacious bedroom, with the usual Fade oddities (chairs on the ceiling, paintings on the floor, that sort of thing.) As he stepped farther in, the door behind him closed with a snap.

“Envy is hurting you,” The same quiet voice spoke, seeming to be from behind Adrios but he could sense there was nothing there before he even moved to look. “Mirrors on mirrors on memories…a face it can feel, but not fake. I want to help. You…not Envy.”

Adrios felt a tiny sense of déjà vu. “Who…are you? I’ve seen you before…haven’t I?”

“I’ve…been watching,” The voice replied. “I’m Cole. We are inside you. Or…I am. You’re always inside you.” Adrios felt a presence form, and he turned to his left to see a young man standing on the ceiling, his head level with Adrios’ eyes. Cole’s head was covered in a large floppy hat however, preventing Adrios from seeing much of his face. “It’s…easy to hear. Harder to be a part of what you’re hearing. But I’m here…hearing, helping. I hope.” Adrios crossed his arms in front of himself and stepped closer to Cole. “Envy hurt you, is hurting you. I tried to help. Then I was here, in the hearing…it…it’s not normally like this.”

There was a brief silence. “I’m…trying to follow what you’re saying, Cole,” Adrios said slowly, rubbing his temples. _He is incredibly confusing to talk to._

“I was watching…I watch. Every templar knew when you arrived,” Cole said suddenly, and Adrios realized Cole was standing very close to him. Adrios turned to look him in the face. “They were impressed…but not like the Lord Seeker.”

“But…the Lord Seeker is an Envy demon,” Adrios replied slowly. “It wants to be me.”

“Yes,” Cole replied simply, sadness coloring his voice. “It twisted the commanders, forced their fury…their hate. They’re…red inside.” Cole looked back up, the sadness suddenly gone. “Anyway. You’re frozen. Envy is trying to take your face. I heard it and reached out…and then in…and then I was here.”

Adrios felt a bolt of realization and he breathed out, staring incredulously at Cole. “You’re a spirit.”

Cole nodded slowly. “Does that bother you? No…I can tell that it doesn’t.”

Adrios shook his head. “No. I’m just curious why you’re still you, and not—“

“I want to help,” Cole said simply, interrupting Adrios’ train of thought. Adrios watched him for a moment before nodding.

“So…Envy is creating this inside my mind?” Adrios asked quietly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he watched Cole.

Cole nodded, the floppy hat moving to show a very young face. _He has to be fifteen, maybe sixteen._ “Exactly. But it’s also the Fade.”

“So…can I do magic?” Adrios asked slowly, an idea dawning on him.

“It’s your mind,” Cole replied simply, and he vanished in the blink of an eye. Adrios looked around wildly and saw Cole was walking out of the room towards the green flames. Adrios followed him and Cole stood by the green flames, watching Adrios approach expectantly. Adrios watched the flames for a moment before holding up his left hand. The flames turned to snowflakes, gently drifting down and vanishing before they hit the ground.

Adrios saw the corridor of the dungeon stretch on impossibly far, and he turned to look at Cole. “The Envy demon is having to use energy to create all of this in my mind, isn’t he?”

Cole nodded. “If you keep going, Envy stretches. It takes strength to make more. People, places, power. Being one person is hard…being many, too many…more and more…Envy will break down, you break out.”

“Why can’t I force him out?” Adrios asked quietly, and then he realized that he was alone. Cole had vanished. Adrios took a breath and continued down the hall.

“That thing can’t help you!” Envy hissed in anger as he continued, the world seeming to wobble around him. “I will see more!” Adrios saw the distortions slowly start to clear. He could see…

“No,” Adrios said, venom in his voice. He could see the man that haunted his nightmares, see the smirk that he wore as he peeled the skin from his flesh. Adrios lashed out with his magic, and the phantom vanished.

A body with countless open wounds, Samiel raping the body, Samiel branding the body with hot pokers.

“No,” Adrios whispered, his hands trembling as he threw magic at the phantom again.

A bloodied body lay on the floor, Cullen sobbing over it.

“I SAID NO!”

There were screams behind him, and Adrios realized that he was back in the real world. The Envy demon, a terrifying white mass of heads and impossibly long limbs, had been thrown through the massive oak doors. The doors did indeed lead into the massive throne room, the hall was long and spacious with a large throne sitting probably a hundred feet at the end. The ceilings were impossibly high and vaulted. It was beautiful…except for the demon. The doors had flown open with a crash, startling all of the templars inside the room. The demon reared up with a screech and leapt up onto one of the mighty stone pillars. It jumped from pillar to pillar before vanishing out the gallery above the throne, and a vivid green barrier sprang into place above the throne.

Adrios was breathing hard, his hands trembling. He stepped in as he heard Barris whisper behind him, “The Lord Seeker…”

“No,” Adrios clenched his hands into fists until the trembling stopped. “An imposter.” He turned around and saw Barris looking pale. “An Envy demon.”

“Then the Lord Seeker…” Cassandra said quietly, covering her mouth in horror.

Barris shook his head, rubbing his forehead. “He’s either caged, or dead. Maker’s Breath…” He turned towards Adrios, rage suddenly flaring up inside him. “My captain knew! It’s the red lyrium, isn’t it? I knew that wretched stuff was risky!” He clenched his hands into fists. “They often give us new kinds of lyrium…our commanders took it first, to prove it was harmless.” The fight seemed to go out of Barris all at once, and he seemed to wilt in front of Adrios. “Our knights would have been next…that demon turned our leaders so we couldn’t question when all this started.”

Adrios stepped up to Barris, insultingly close. “Are you going to complain and mope about what can’t be changed? Or are you going to step up and help me fix this fucking mess?” Adrios’ voice was low and harsh, and he saw Barris flinch before steel came back into his eyes. Barris nodded and walked down the hall. Adrios looked behind him to see the others still standing in the doorway, shock coloring all of their faces. A trace of fear on Iron Bull’s, but Adrios ignored it. Adrios jerked his head, and they seemed to come to their senses. They all started walking in, following Adrios as he walked down the hall towards the throne.

Barris was standing near the throne with a small crowd of templars around him, looking at the glowing green barrier. He turned when Adrios got within a few feet of him. “We can break this barrier, but it is going to take untainted lyrium. I can tell you where the stores are.” Adrios rubbed his forehead. _Why can’t something just be easy for once._ Barris explained the directions to the uncorrupted lyrium stores, which were—naturally—stored in an adjacent wing and quite a distance away.

Adrios turned and looked at the others. “Cassandra, Vivienne, Varric—I need you three to stay here and ensure we do not lose the hall. I’m sure Envy will call some of the corrupted templars to try and push us out of here.” The three of them nodded to him. “Bull’s coming with me, naturally.” Adrios gave Iron Bull a dazzling smile, and Iron Bull replied by flexing with a smirk. Adrios turned to Barris and the crowd of templars that were still here. “Templars! Whoever Barris does not require to aid him in breaking the barrier, you are to return to the entrance of Therinfal!”

There was a murmuring of dissent. “But Herald, we want to fight!” One templar shouted to him, and there were murmurs of agreement.

“This Elder One that Envy serves, I’m sure he is going to send reinforcements,” Adrios replied in a ringing voice. “You would rather stand here unnecessarily while innocents die in this building?”

Silence followed his words before Barris stepped up. He started calling out instructions to the templars and Adrios turned away. He rolled his eyes and he heard Varric snicker. “Shall we Bull?” Adrios drew his staff and set it on his shoulder.

“After you,” Iron Bull swept his hand in a grand gesture, making Adrios laugh. They set off at a jog towards the door Barris had indicated, pushing through the door and continuing at a good clip. The halls were quiet, and they jogged until they went through another door into a courtyard.

“I believe he said—” Adrios began and he jumped to the side, an arrow whizzing past where his face was. Adrios swore in Qun, and he threw a lightning bolt towards the archer he just noticed. Several corrupted templars were running towards them, yelling insane battle cries. Adrios checked to make sure the archer wasn’t getting back up—he wasn’t—and turned his attention to the approaching templars. Iron Bull had charged towards them and used his momentum to cut one down with his axe. Adrios raised a hand to attack the others but watched as Iron Bull continued his momentum to swing his axe around and decapitate the other templar. Adrios walked over, clapping Iron Bull’s performance which made him give Adrios a cheeky smile. “Anyway, I believe Barris said it was up there?” Adrios pointed up a short flight of stairs to a small building nearby.

Iron Bull nodded and they headed over the building. Adrios tried the door, but it was locked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Knight-Captain’s keys and quickly found the right key, unlocking the door and pushing it open. The interior was a large open space, with a staircase on the side of the wall leading up to a balcony of sorts that overlooked the rest of the room. In the center of the room…

“What the fuck…?” Iron Bull said quietly. Adrios didn’t say anything, but he definitely agreed. There was a bust of Empress Celene on a table in the center of the room, papers strewn about the table surrounding her. There was a dagger shoved deeply into the bust’s forehead, and there were hundreds of eyes painted on the walls around the bust. Adrios stepped forward cautiously, approaching the papers around the bust. He reached out to touch a paper when movement made him jump.

Cole stepped out from around the bust, seeming to appear out of nothingness. “The Elder One wants her dead.” Adrios watched Cole curiously. Cole pointed to the bust. “Empress Celene…he hates her, haunts her, wants her dead…but hides why. He hid other things too.”

A loud boom came from the direction of the hall and Adrios glanced over his shoulder in concern. He turned back and Cole had vanished. Adrios frowned and turned away from the bust. “Everything all right Boss?” Iron Bull was still by the door, watching him with a guarded expression.

 _He must not have seen Cole. Interesting._ “Yeah. Everything’s fine. Let’s find the lyrium.” Adrios walked over to the stairs and ran up them, Bull following at a slower pace. He got to the top of the stairs and saw crates of lyrium stacked on a table on the balcony. He walked over and heard the familiar call of the lyrium. He had been accompanied the First Enchanter on some of her required checks of the templar lyrium stores, and there had always been the odd feeling that accompanied being near lyrium that hadn’t been processed by the Tranquil for the mages. Adrios reached out and picked up the crates, sliding them one by one into the bag at his waist. After he slid all three in, he turned back to Iron Bull. Iron Bull had been watching the crates vanish into the bag at his waist with an interested expression, but he smiled at Adrios. “Shall we?”

Adrios and Iron Bull left the room quickly, and the courtyard was thankfully empty. They jogged towards the door leading back into the castle proper. Adrios heard a rushing noise and turned to look at Iron Bull. Iron Bull dove at him, knocking him off his feet and the force of it knocked them back several paces. Adrios watched as a massive corrupted templar landed where they had been standing moments ago with enough force that it cracked the stones where the templar landed. “You need to run inside,” Iron Bull stood back up, drawing his great axe. “I’ll hold him off.”

“Haven’t you been paying attention?” Adrios stood up and brushed himself off, smiling widely at Iron Bull. Iron Bull cocked an eyebrow and Adrios raised his left hand, green flames flickering in his palm. “Templars don’t like Veilfire.” Adrios smiled widely, which was slightly unnerving for Iron Bull. _He’s such a creepy little shit sometimes._ Iron Bull watched as Adrios threw the green flames in his hands at the huge corrupted templar, the flames forming into a bolt of energy as it flew. The corrupted templar batted the bolt away like it was an annoying fly, and turned to roar angrily at the two of them. “Well. Shit. Run!” Adrios grabbed Iron Bull’s by the elbow and forced him into a sprint. They ran towards the door leading inside, which looked almost comically normal after the massive templar thundering after them.

When they were within feet of the door, Adrios threw out his hand and sent a burst of force magic towards the door. It flew open and they crashed through the door. Iron Bull had barely cleared the door when Adrios whipped around and slammed the door shut behind him. Adrios raised his hands and massive pillars of stone erupted from the ground in front of them, barring the door from being opened. Adrios watched the door for a moment before turning to Iron Bull. Iron Bull, for his part, was looking awestruck and a little horrified. Adrios clapped Iron Bull on the arm. “Let’s go Bull.” Adrios jogged off down the hall, Iron Bull watching him go for a moment before following.

There was another loud boom of noise ahead, like an explosion. Adrios frowned to himself and lengthened his stride. He pushed through the door leading into the main hall and there was a crack of shattering crystal overhead that made him roll forward to land behind a pillar. He looked back to the doorway and saw Iron Bull stepping through, stepping over the shattered pieces of red lyrium. Adrios turned his attention back to the hall. There were only about six templars left now, all fighting waves of corrupted templars. Cassandra was standing her ground with the templars, Varric was standing on a ledge above the throne firing bolt after bolt into the crowd, Vivienne was enhancing barriers and laying down frost traps.

Adrios fade-stepped into the center of the room, between Cassandra and approaching templars. “Herald!” Cassandra shouted, stepping toward him. “We’ve been keeping them at bay, but—”

Adrios looked over his shoulder and smiled at Cassandra. “I got this Cass.” He winked at her astonished face and turned back to the approaching wave of templars. He whirled his staff over his head, feeling the gathering magical energies in himself and the staff. He felt the energy build until it felt like it was going to overflow. He brought the staff down, the head of the staff colliding with the ground. There was a tremendous boom and the energy rippled out in a wave outward from him. The ground shook from the force of the magic, knocking the templars off their feet. When the ripple connected with the templars they screamed as they were frozen, shocked, and burnt all at the same time. When the ripple finally cleared, the templars had all been blown back several feet and were all dead. Adrios took a deep breath and turned back to the others.

Cassandra’s face was unreadable but everyone else looked at him in shock and awe (with a tiny bit of fear.) Adrios walked back to them, breathing heavily. He drew level with Barris and set his staff against the ground with a dull _thunk_. “What now, Barris?” Adrios reached into his bag and pulled out the crates of lyrium, handing them over to Barris and feeling the same strange echoing sensation that seemed to reverberate within him.

“We will work together—” Barris indicated the other templars as he handed the crates of lyrium off and took the next from Adrios “—to weaken the field to the point that it will dispel. You will just need to keep them off from us while we do so.”

Adrios furrowed his brow. “That will take too much time.” He pointed up at the field, gesturing beyond it. “Envy is regaining its strength right now! We can’t wait the time it will take for you to dispel the field, we’ve wasted too much time already!” Adrios leaned against his staff heavily, breathing hard and trying to stop the world from spinning. _That wave took a lot of my mana._ He felt a nudge at his elbow and Iron Bull wordlessly handed him a large clear vial full of blue liquid. “Thank you,” Adrios whispered and twisted the cork out of the vial.

“What would you suggest then Herald?” Barris’ voice was neutral, an eyebrow raised as he watched Adrios tilt the vial into his mouth and chug the potion.

Adrios felt the mana return to him in a rush and he let out a deep breath as he felt the power flood his veins. He looked up at Barris and smiled. “I’ve got an idea.” He walked over to Vivienne, Barris watching him stoically. He spoke with Vivienne in low tones, too low for Barris to hear what they were saying. Vivienne looked at him quizzically and replied in a tone just as quiet. Adrios continued to talk to her, and after a moment understanding bloomed onto her face and she nodded to Adrios. Adrios walked back over, Vivienne following. “Okay, so all of you cast dampening fields on the barrier. We will dispel the barrier.”

Barris stared at him for a moment before nodding and turning back to the other templars. “You heard him knights! Imbue and make yourselves ready!”

Adrios turned to the others as the templars began to open the crates. He felt the strange sensation of the lyrium wash over him, even from this distance. He tried to ignore it. “Cassandra, Iron Bull, Varric—can you make sure nothing gets to us? They may send another wave of red templars.” They nodded to him and turned to keep watch. Adrios turned back and saw that the templars had begun imbuing themselves with the lyrium, showing momentary pain and then the flash of sudden strength and power wash over their faces.

“Do you really think this will work Adrios?” Vivienne asked in a low tone, her face neutral as she looked at him. Adrios turned and looked at her.

“I hope so,” Adrios replied in an undertone, trying to smile. “We need to finish this before Envy recovers.”

“Together knights!” Barris’ voice called and there was a clash of steel on stone as they all went to one knee at the same time. Adrios had experienced the magic dampening fields before and even from the outside, the feeling of his magic pushing away from the field was unnerving. Adrios turned to Vivienne and nodded. She raised both of her hands and he watched as she began to cast a sustained and focused dispel on a spot of the barrier in the direct middle.

Adrios took a deep breath before channeling force magic downwards. The magic blasted him upwards, throwing him into the air and towards the barrier. He aimed his staff as he flew and the base of his staff plunged through the barrier in the spot that Vivienne had weakened. He released his staff and fell towards the ledge above the throne. He landed carefully and stood to look up at his staff. He raised both hands and sent a surge of the same dispel magic to his staff. He felt the magic in his staff respond, and the magic spread across the other side of the barrier. There was a mighty shattering noise and the barrier broke apart, fading away. Adrios held up his hands and the staff fell into his waiting hands. Adrios smiled broadly and punched the air joyously. “I’m so glad that worked!”

“Boss…” Iron Bull seemed at a loss for words, staring at him. “That…was awesome!”

“You’re like a one-man army Slick,” Varric said, slightly in awe.

Adrios shrugged, a flush coming to his cheeks. “We need to move,” Adrios started striding towards the stairs, noticing that the templars were very slowly rising to their feet. _They need time to recover. Time we don’t have._ He heard the others following behind him and quickened his pace into a jog. The space behind the throne that had been blocked by the massive barrier was a large landing that had a massive doorway leading further into the castle. From what Adrios could see, it was another courtyard that had beautiful gardens and an overlook. Adrios took a deep breath in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder at the others. He jogged towards the clearing, everyone keeping pace with him.

There was a sudden rumbling as soon as they crossed the end of the walls and entered the courtyard proper. Adrios slowed his steps, looking around cautiously. Suddenly, the ground around them exploded upwards. Adrios was knocked off his feet, thrown forward onto his stomach. He couldn’t see anything around him, and he scrambled to try and get back to his feet. Suddenly, he felt a hand grip the front of his tunic. The hand lifted him off his feet and threw him forward. He flew across the garden, out of the cloud of dust. He landed hard on his side on a section of tile, skidding along before coming to a stop. Adrios gasped from the pain, struggling to get up. He managed to stand as a figure walked out of the cloud of dust.

It was…himself. But, something was definitely wrong. The face was lopsided, half of it shrunken in on itself. The skin had bubbled and dripped like hot wax, and the clothes he wore were crooked and misshapen.

“W-what…do you gain…from being me?!” Adrios shouted at the not-Adrios, clutching his side where he had fallen. _Something is broken, and I don’t have enough time to heal it._ He grit his teeth against the pain.

“What do I gain from being you?” The voice was a very close match, the tone only slightly off. Envy fade-stepped to him and gripped him by the throat, lifting him off his feet. The misshapen mouth leered at him, showing perfect teeth in the hideous mouth. “Everything!” Envy gripped his throat tighter, making spots float across Adrios’ vision. Envy pulled Adrios closer to him, Adrios scrabbling at the hand holding his throat. “We’ll try again…more pain this time. And you won’t have an annoying insect holding your hand, keeping me—AGH!” A dagger appeared out of nowhere and stabbed deep into Envy’s back. Envy’s hand released Adrios quickly, Adrios falling to the ground and coughing as blood and oxygen rushed back to his brain.

“Boss!” Iron Bull was there, vaulting over Envy and coming to stand in front of Adrios’ fallen form. Cassandra barreled into Envy’s form, holding her shield in front of her and smashing the demon off its feet. She did an impressive flip and stood beside Iron Bull holding her shield and sword at the ready.

“We are not so easily disposed of, demon!” Cassandra spat at Envy, a firm battle stance keeping her planted on the ground. Envy snarled at Cassandra, striding forward towards her.

A massive wall of ice sprang from the ground in front of Adrios, in between Iron Bull and Adrios. Vivienne fade-stepped to Adrios, kneeling and holding her hands over his side. “Breathe, Herald,” Vivienne advised gently, and Adrios groaned.

“I’ve…I’ve got to—”

“Cool your heels a sec, Slick!” Varric’s voice rang out. Adrios looked up to see him standing on top of the ice wall, firing bolts of arrows towards Envy. Adrios sighed heavily, looking up at Vivienne as she healed his ribs.

“I’m not as skilled at this as you are Herald,” Vivienne said quietly, holding her hands over his torso. “But I can get you back on your feet to help us finish this fight.” Adrios took a deep breath, feeling the healing magic flowing from her hands interact with his own healing aura. His aura took her magic and enhanced it, directing it against his broken bones. Cracked rib, fractured hip—his magic highlighted it all and placed a salve on it.

Adrios took another deep breath and slowly got to his feet. Vivienne straightened as well, watching Adrios with a neutral expression. “Let’s end this, Madame de Fer.” He bowed at the waist to her. “May I have this dance?”

Vivienne laughed, one of the first true laughs that Adrios had heard from her. “After you my dear.” She raised her hand and a section of the ice wall fell apart, revealing Cassandra and Iron Bull dancing around Envy. Envy still looked like a melted version of Adrios and was attempting to keep both of them at bay. As Adrios walked through the wall of ice, he watched as Cole danced between Cassandra and Iron Bull with his daggers a blur. When Envy saw Adrios walking towards him, there was an earsplitting shriek that made Cassandra and Iron Bull stagger back. Adrios watched as Envy shed the form of Adrios and turned back into the hulking monstrosity with too many arms and mouths.

“It’s trying to open a rift!” Adrios shouted, throwing up his left hand and forming spears of ice to fling at Envy. Envy vanished in a rift and the spears embedded themselves into the ground. Adrios glanced around the battlefield, his staff at the ready. He saw a telltale green glow and he spun his staff forward, lightning arcing from the tip towards the spot. A shade formed from the rift and was quickly destroyed by the lightning. Adrios swore quietly, breaking the lightning and turning again to look. Envy had formed across the field and was cackling as he threw orbs of poisonous-looking mist at them.

Adrios grit his teeth and his left hand formed a fist. He channeled force magic and a gigantic fist formed to the right of Envy. Envy didn’t notice the fist until it slammed into the demon, dazing it and knocking it into a nearby pillar. Envy shrieked in rage, and Adrios watched as Cole ran up a pillar and jumped off it. He landed on the wall of ice and used it to vault over the pillar Envy had slammed into and he dove towards the demon.

Envy looked up to see the sheen of two daggers hurling towards him, and then there was a shriek that slowly faded away. Adrios watched as the demon slowly melted away, Cole sheathing his daggers and nodding towards Adrios before walking out of sight behind the pillar and vanishing. Adrios heaved a heavy sigh, leaning on his staff. Cassandra and Iron Bull both jogged over to him.

“Alright Boss?” Iron Bull called as he got closer, and Adrios could see even Cassandra was looking concerned.

“Fine,” Adrios sighed deeply, smiling wearily at them. “This has just been…a really fucking long day.”

“I second that,” Varric said from where he was still perched on the ice wall. Adrios glanced up in time to see him jump down and land gracefully on the ground, dusting off his coat. Vivienne shattered the wall with a gesture and walked primly over to join them.

“Now that the demon has been dispatched, we should go and join the others, shouldn’t we?” Vivienne asked, sheathing her staff and looking at each of them with her regal grace.

Adrios nodded and led the way back into the castle. He could feel his healing aura was still working on mending the fractures, and he knew that they were still working on mending the damage that the torture had inflicted on his body. _My scars have already been fading away. If only the ones in my mind would go as quickly._ Adrios strode through the hall leading back to the throne room, his jaw tight. We didn’t get here fast enough, and people have suffered…because I’m too weak. He swallowed hard and descended the stairs. Barris and the other templars were standing near the throne and speaking in low voices. “Ser Barris!” Adrios called, trying to put steel back in his voice even as he used the staff to keep himself upright. “The Envy demon is no more. We need to go and join the others.”

Barris nodded to him, and the group of them traveled back down the castle. It was slow work, but they moved as a group and eventually reached the initial courtyard that led down towards the stables. The nobles were all in heated discussions, and the templars were separate and silent. Barris strode off towards the templars and Adrios sighed as he walked over to the nobles.

“Herald,” Lord Abernache said quietly, approaching him. “I apologize for losing countenance amidst the chaos. That was…unfortunate.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I hope…it won’t affect our concord?” He looked at Adrios, and Adrios could see the hope even behind the mask.

 _Fucking little prick._ Adrios seethed, but he made himself smile. It was more of a grimace, but it was better than ripping his arms off and beating him to death with them. “You are still a valued ally to the Inquisition, Lord Abernache.” Lord Abernache bowed to him and scurried away. _Maybe that look gave him a bigger indication of my mood than I thought._ Adrios smiled absently and turned towards the templars. Barris was leading them towards him and Adrios gave a mental whimper. _Will this day ever end?_

“The demon is dead,” Barris said in a ringing voice, the templars arrayed behind him in orderly rows. “Andraste be praised, She shielded you from its touch.” He sighed and looked away. “We have numbers across Thedas, but we let this happen. Our officers either failed to see this or were complicit in this.” He straightened back up and saluted Adrios. “We templars who are true are ready to hear what the Inquisition needs of us.”

Adrios paused for a moment, trying to rally his strength and spirits. “There was corruption here.” Adrios let his voice ring out across the courtyard, and there was total silence following his words. “But I also see valor, and honor in all of you who stood fast. Rise tall again! Help the Inquisition seal the Breach before it swallows us all!” He saw hope kindle upon the faces of the templars, and Adrios punched the air triumphantly. “Join with us as allies, and we will help you stand so that you may protect those who do not have strength. We will turn you back into what you should have been all along!”

Cheers erupted following his words, people praising him and applause. Adrios let his fist drop as the noise erupted and he tried to not let himself droop down. Barris stepped forward so he was within touching distance of Adrios. “I will gather a dozen knights and meet you in Haven.” Barris nodded to him. “We will help you close the Breach and redeem our good name.” Barris saluted him and turned on his heel, disappearing into the crowd of templars.

Adrios could hear the marching of footsteps approaching and he turned to see a squad of Inquisition soldiers marching down the road. He watched them approach and one of them broke off from the group to run over to them. Adrios recognized it as the driver of their carriage.

“I received your message from Ser Drenon Herald,” The driver saluted him as he came to a stop in front of Adrios. “I notified the Nightingale and she sent a squadron to assist.”

 _Thank the Maker for Leliana._ Adrios smiled at the driver. “Long story short, the Lord Seeker was a demon and it’s dead now. There are corrupted templars all over Therinfal, with the possibility of noncorrupted templars fighting them. Can you guys clear Therinfal out? I’ll notify the King when we get back to Haven and they can send a force to occupy Therinfal.” The driver saluted him and jogged off to deliver his instructions.

“Well Slick,” Varric said quietly from behind Adrios, making him turn to look at him. “You did the impossible. What now?”

“Now,” Adrios said quietly, sighing deeply and running his fingers through his hair. “Now…we are going to get in that carriage and go back to Haven. And I’m going to sleep the entire way back.”


End file.
